3. PROMOTING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS THROUGH A HUMAN RIGHTS-BASED APPROACH TO DEVELOPMENT of Education and will require adequate budgets for both health and education sectors.”14 Increasing budgetary allocations to NHRIs should also be considered in cases where the strengthening of national accountability systems for the protection of reproductive rights is one of the identified priorities. NHRIs can play a special advocacy role in in making sure that policy and budgetary decisions do not place a disproportionate financial burden on people, in particular women, living in poverty. Payment for certain health services should not impede accessibility to care. Furthermore, budgets should include provisions for ensuring accountability, including monitoring, access to justice for the poor, and both judicial and non-judicial mechanisms to facilitate timely redress. IMPLEMENTATION Depending on the issues identified as gaps in the provision of reproductive rights and the corresponding policy and budgetary decisions taken, NHRIs can be one of the duty-bearers in charge of taking action. For instance this will be the case where one of the main priority areas identified concerns the strengthening of national accountability systems and redress mechanisms for the protection of reproductive rights. As seen in the previous chapter, this can include the implementation of interventions to develop the internal capacities of the NHRI to engage with reproductive rights and the implementation of specific research, assessment and monitoring activities. Furthermore the NHRI can assist the government to implement specific training programmes to develop the capacity of state institutions and public officials from the 14 OHCHR, A/HRC/21/22, para. 37. judiciary, the police and the administration to promote and protect reproductive rights. As seen in the previous chapter, NHRIs can also support governments in the implementation of specific programmes aiming at the empowerment of rights holders to know and claim their reproductive rights. This can include the implementation of awareness raising campaigns or conducting trainings for civil society organizations, women’s groups, parents’ associations, journalists and professional associations regarding the human rights implications of sexual and reproductive health. In cases where the NHRI acts as a dutybearer through the implementation of public policies public, programmes and funds, a HRBA calls to ensure that appropriate mechanisms be put in place for the meaningful participation of concerned rights-holders, including marginalized and vulnerable groups, in the implementation process. MONITORING NHRIs can play a crucial role in monitoring as it has been shown above in Chapter 2. When monitoring the implementation of public policies, programmes and budgets for the realization of reproductive rights, NHRIS should look into: a. Changes in structural factors over time such as examining whether laws are adopted recognizing reproductive rights; b. Policy and budgetary efforts within and beyond the health sector such as the delivery of comprehensive quality sexual and reproductive health services and the implementation of 87

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