Situation Analysis:

• The sexual and reproductive health and rights as enunciated in the ICPD Programme of Action (ICPD PoA), are under severe pressure
• There is a global campaign, largely supported by the US Administration and conservative forces, to undermine and reverse progress made in the context of ICPD agenda since 1994.
• While half of the states in the Indian Union are moving fast towards population stabilization, seven major states which house more than 40% of country’s population suffer from high fertility with low indices of development.
• In spite of high demand to improve health status of the people, only 0.6% of country’s budget is spent on health compared to China 2%, Bangladesh 1.6%. The per capita expenditure on health has been Rs 47 over the years.
• SRH is complex and it encompasses multidimensional issues. These pose challenges in terms of applying rights based approach and developing messages aimed at reducing disparities and empowering the disempowered.
• A number of states have introduced a series of schemes to promote the two child norm among their employees, the violation of which would deprive them of various fringe benefits.

Strategic Direction: By associating communities and policy makers for promoting the sexual and reproductive health and rights including family planning choices highlight their accomplishments in the related fields and enlist their support for resource generation.

Goal: Strong public, political and financial commitment and support for sexual and reproductive health and rights at the national and international level.

Objective 1:  To raise the priority of SRH &R on the development agenda resulting in an increase in resources.

Activities:

• Hold interactive meetings at regional and national levels with representatives from Branches of the MA, government agencies, civil society organizations to take stock of their achievements in respect of SRH &R and their commitment to ICPD/MDGs.
• Develop evidence based IEC materials and learning tools demonstrating linkages between the ICPD and MDGs.
• Hold capacity building programmes for volunteers and staff and other stakeholders for advocacy of rights based approach and use of advocacy as a tool for resource mobilization.
• Conduct workshops, seminars, conferences at regional and national levels for NGOs, media representatives, government executives, captins of corporate sector to demonstrate the linkages and importance of SRH & R to the wider development agenda [MDGs, ICPD and Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP)] and get more allocation of resources for SRH
• Hold donors meeting and carry out campaigns for resource mobilization through public donations, cost sharing by family and community networks, social marketing of contraceptives including health and educational materials.
• Develop national as well regional level strategic partnership and networking with key stakeholders in SRH including NGOs, CSOs, corporate agencies, highlight ICPD agenda and enlist their support for resource mobilization.
• Develop protocols, evaluation and monitoring tools, document and share experience on utilizing advocacy as a tool to generate resources.

Objective 2: To achieve greater public support for government commitment and accountability for SRH

Activities:

• Advocate with government and other agencies using evidence based information including MAs own programmes to demonstrate the importance and impact of SRH and R and motivate them to strengthen the programme.
• Develop and disseminate strong messages for advocacy of SRH and rights in the perspectives of 5As.
• Represent MA at policy making bodies of government (state, regional and national) and advocate SRH&R to protect individuals and couples from corecisive approaches, bring back ICPD agenda in the mainstream of development debate. 4
• Utilise media to disseminate information and messages and mobilize public support to strengthen government and CSOs commitment to promote informed SRH choices including FP.
• Organise national events to influence policy makers, parliamentarians, executives and highlight the importance of ICPD agenda and assess the work done by CSOs including government for promoting SRH.
• Document experience and conduct studies to assess changes in understanding and commitment of partner organizations to SRH & R agenda.

Outcomes and Indicators: