Art from different artists./PHOTO; Courtesy
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) remain central to the health, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls across Africa.
Yet persistent structural, social, and legal barriers continue to limit access to essential services, while intersecting forms of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), including technology-facilitated abuse, further compound these challenges.
In this context, the media plays a critical role in shaping public understanding, influencing policy discourse, and holding duty bearers accountable.
To address these issues, Journalists for Human Rights (JHR) Kenya, in partnership with the Centre for Reproductive Rights (CRR), convened a Media Roundtable on the State of SRHR in Africa.
The forum brought together journalists, artists, judicial officers, policymakers, legislators, legal practitioners, SRHR organisations, and women’s rights advocates to examine emerging issues, persistent barriers, and the media’s role in advancing informed, rights-based reporting on SRHR and SGBV.
Legal Perspectives on Reproductive Rights
Speaking on Human Rights Day, Prof. Marion Mutugi, Commissioner at the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), reaffirmed the Commission’s constitutional mandate to promote and protect human rights.
She noted that KNCHR, together with partners including the Centre for Reproductive Rights, has been actively highlighting reproductive health rights.
A day earlier, the Commission released its Status of Human Rights Report for the year ending December 2025, which identified significant gaps in the realization of health rights, particularly reproductive rights.
Prof. Mutugi emphasized that reproductive rights span the entire life course and are firmly grounded in Kenya’s Constitution. Article 43 explicitly recognizes the right to health, including reproductive health.
She explained that the framers of the Constitution deliberately singled out reproductive rights due to their importance and the risk of marginalization.
She further underscored the need to address gender-based and sexual violence within discussions on reproductive rights, including pregnancies resulting from sexual abuse.
Prof. Mutugi called for a progressive interpretation of Article 26, which permits termination of pregnancy under specific circumstances, such as medical emergencies or when the life of the mother is at risk.
She cited the 2019 JMM case, in which KNCHR was an interested party, noting that the court affirmed that the “life of the mother” extends beyond physical survival to include social and psychosocial well-being.
“Forcing a survivor of sexual violence to carry a pregnancy to term can amount to torture,” Prof. Mutugi said.
“Reproductive rights are health rights, and health rights are human rights.”
Prof. Mutugi also highlighted KNCHR’s role in handling complaints, pursuing strategic litigation, and collaborating with partners such as the Centre for Reproductive Rights.
She noted the Commission’s participation in the ongoing review of the Sexual Offences Act, led by a committee established by the Chief Justice to address emerging issues.
Art and Advocacy Amplify Survivor Voices
Elsy Sainna, Associate Director for Advocacy and External Relations at the Centre for Reproductive Rights, described the organisation as a global human rights body advancing reproductive rights as fundamental human rights.
“Our mandate is to ensure that laws and policies reflect the reality that reproductive rights are human rights,” Sainna said.
Sainna emphasized the interdependence of rights, noting that the right to health, including sexual and reproductive health, cannot be separated from the right to life, housing, or dignity.
The Centre works across seven African countries Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Zambia, and Nigeria partnering closely with local organisations and communities.
Much of its work focuses on legal advocacy, including strategic litigation to challenge unjust laws and advance accountability.
She highlighted the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence as a critical global moment to refocus attention on ending violence against women and girls.
This year’s theme, “Unite to End Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence Against Women and Girls,” strongly resonates with the Centre’s work.
“Digital violence does not exist in isolation; it accelerates and amplifies other forms of gender-based violence,” Sainna said.
“Through law, advocacy, and art, we are working to ensure these realities are understood, addressed, and transformed.”
Sainna highlighted the Centre’s use of art as a powerful advocacy tool, noting that spoken word performances at the forum were drawn from real cases.
These artistic expressions centered survivors’ lived experiences often lost in legal texts and court outcomes and humanized the law by revealing the impact of criminalization, stigma, and lack of access to services, particularly for young girls.
“Through art, survivors’ realities are made visible,” she said.
“It helps us ask critical questions about justice, dignity, safety, and care.”
Ethical Journalism Strengthens Accountability
“When the media tells human rights stories ethically, people are empowered, and empowered people can demand accountability,” commented Benard Ogoi of Journalists for Human Rights Kenya.
During the 16 Days of Activism, JHR focuses on amplifying survivor voices and ensuring journalists engage directly with survivors and human rights organisations.
Such engagement equips journalists with accurate information and reliable data, enabling them to tell nuanced stories that challenge stereotypes and uphold human rights, especially on contentious issues such as abortion, which, while constitutionally permitted in Kenya, is often misinterpreted and criminalized in practice.
Mental Health Support for Survivors
The forum also highlighted the importance of mental health support for survivors.
Aminatuzhara Ahmed, counseling psychologist and Director of Ahmed Kalebi Consultancy, explained that her organisation provides counseling and wellness services for individuals, children, and corporates, with psychologists placed across the country.
“Our priority is to ensure every survivor can access mental health care, regardless of their circumstances,” Ahmed said.
When survivors seek support, the consultancy provides psychological first aid, assesses mental stability, and offers psychoeducation to families.
Services are culturally sensitive and tailored to individual needs, supporting survivors through police reporting, court processes, or personal healing journeys.
Flexible payment plans, pro bono services, and referrals to free clinics ensure accessibility.
A Call for Integrated Action
Participants agreed that advancing SRHR requires integrated approaches grounded in law, amplified by ethical media, enriched by art, and supported by accessible mental health services.
Together, these efforts are essential to safeguarding the dignity, health, and rights of women and girls across Africa.
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