The Special Rapporteur on the human rights to safe drinking water and sanitation meets with civil society organizations during his official visit to Mexico, May 2017. © OHCHR/Mexico African activists use the international human rights mechanisms to advance sexual and reproductive health rights “For me, the human rights mechanisms are another way to hold governments accountable, especially at a time when there is shrinking civic space and a backlash against gender equality and women’s rights in general,” said Catherine Nyambura, of FemNet, a pan-African women’s organization. Nyambura participated in a recent special training workshop on using international and regional human rights standards, tools and mechanisms to promote and protect sexual and reproductive health and rights. The workshop was organized in Ethiopia by the UN Human Rights Regional Office for East Africa, along with the East and Southern Africa Regional Office of UNFPA, and brought together stakeholders from Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda who work on sexual and reproductive health and rights, including those who work on addressing gender-based violence. The objective of the workshop was to enhance participants’ understanding of the relevant human rights standards, facilitate the exchange of perspectives and explore how they can use international and regional human rights mechanisms in their work to assist access to sexual and reproductive health services and information. “Human rights defenders play a crucial role in helping to ensure that no one is left behind by uncovering and addressing inequalities in access to basic quality health services and calling on authorities to respect, protect and fulfil the sexual and reproductive health rights of every individual within their jurisdiction,” said Adwoa Kufuor, UN Human Rights Regional Gender Adviser. “The workshop particularly strengthened the capacity of defenders in the region to engage in advocacy before the 12 UN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORT 2017 regional and international human rights mechanisms and concluded with the development of concrete followup strategies, which they are now in the process of implementing,” she added. Francis Mutua, from the African Adolescent and Youth Network on Population Development, said the workshop was a big help, especially for young activists, as it gave them a framework and language to work with. He noted that learning about relevant human rights and mechanisms helps broaden thinking and improve the kind of difference that young activists can make. “It shifts the conversations (around youth and sexual and reproductive health) from ‘what do young people want’ to ‘what young people can do?’” he said. “When you link the issues to the international instruments, it opens up your thinking beyond your country. You understand how sexual and reproductive health links to human rights across the whole of the continent.” The training has also helped to increase the impact of their work, said Jacqueline Mutere from the communitybased organization Grace Agenda, which works with girls and women who have suffered sexual violence. Mutere is a survivor of sexual violence that took place in the aftermath of the 2007 Kenyan elections. She said that she now feels empowered to make more focused demands for human rights. For example, she plans to present a case for reparations for women who were victims of post-election sexual assaults to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women. “It has opened a door for me to be able to advance the agenda beyond my own country,” she said. “Since my country has ratified many of the treaties available, and they won’t listen to me at home, then I can turn to someone else more international to claim my rights.”