Problem Analysis: The 1986 United Nations Declaration on the right to development states categorically that development is a human right. This proclamation has been strengthened and reaffirmed at the United Nations Conference on Population and Development at Cairo in 1994. In keeping with these international commitments all countries of the South asia Region have framed policies that affirm the commitment of their governments to the principle that the overriding objective of social and economic development is to enhance the well-being of all human beings by respecting their rights and expanding their choices.

Ironically however the countries of South Asia have not been able to transform these commitments and policy statements into programmes that yield rich dividends of improved quality of life for larger numbers of people in the region. The inclusion of sexual and reproductive health righs in development approaches is still at a level of conceptual recognition. The principles of voluntary and informed consent of citizens while availing reproductive ans sexual health services are not being enjoyed by the disadvantaged and vulnerable populations especially those living in resource poor settings.

• In India some states as late as in 2003 have debarred persons with two or more children from contesting elections
• In Maldives and in Pakistan only 18% of married women have access to contraception and therefore cannot exercise their right to control their fertility-the birth and spacing of their children
• In Bangladesh maternal mortality is as high as 600 for every 100,000 live births as compared to 10 in developed nations.
• In Afghanistan the status of the right to life of a child is reflected in a high infant mortality rate of 154 out of 1000 live births.
• Abortion is largely illegal in most of the South Asian countries and this has serious implications on the women’s right to life. A large percentage (close to 50%) of maternal mortality is a consequence of unsafe abortion in the region.

Strategic Direction: - Given this scenario, IPPF SARO will work towards the sexual and reproductive rights of men and women in South Asia by engaging communities and policy makers to focus on the achievement of their demographic goals through processes that respect the rights of individuals.

Goal: To increase public, political and financial support for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in all the countries of the South Asia Region.

Objectives: To strengthen recognition of SRHR including policy and legislation that fulfils these rights.

Activities:

• Convene regional tours with representatives from member associations (MAs), civil society, parliamentarians, media personnel, policy makers, multilateral agencies to take stock of the achievements made towards the fulfillment of ICPD goals and review futire directions in affirmation of the goals. For example regional conferences and national debates. ICPD scorecards will be prepared under the countdown 2015 initiative in the region.
• To work with MAs to develop effective media strategies to generate public discourses on the ways and means to achieve national demographic goals. These discourses will focus on people centred and rights based approaches.
• Undertake media surveys on the existing levels of media reporting-qualitative and quantitative-on sexual and reproductive health and rights in South Asia.
• Assit MAs to develop sound and compelling evidence based IEC materials/learning tools that illustrate how the inclusion of SRHR approaches are critical to the achievement of the Milennium Development goals (MDGs).
• Collect, collate and disseminate SAR’s programmatic experiences and its SRHR priorities to critical stakeholders/partners especially donors for effective resource mobilization.
• Undertake opinion polls and KABPs to assess changes in understanding and commitments of MAs anf their partners to SRHR issues.

Outcomes and Indicators: