KENYA NATIONAL COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS (KNCHR) (CONT.) 2. To assess compliance by the government and non-state actors with sexual and ­reproductive health rights; 3. To determine the extent of sexual and reproductive health awareness and utilization; 4. To identify and document cases of discrimination and violation of sexual and ­reproductive health and rights. The steps taken included preliminary desk and field research, a public launch at the start, a comprehensive literature review, visits to health facilities and focus group discussions countrywide, six public hearings (with a panel involving both commissioners and external experts) and a final experts’ forum to weave together the issues raised. In addition to the public hearings, written submissions were invited. Two forums were held for stakeholders to provide input to the objectives of the hearing and to discuss how victims could be mobilized to participate. At the end of the process, a report with findings and recommendations was presented to Parliament and Government (April 2012) for adoption and implementation. KNCHR will continue to lobby for this to happen and will monitor progress. The report can be found on http://www.knchr.org/Portals/0/Reports/Reproductive_health_report.pdf. COMPLAINTS HANDLING A NHRI with a general mandate to receive and consider individual human rights complaints is by definition in a position to receive and consider complaints pertaining to reproductive rights. These complaints should not be handled any differently than other human rights complaints. Just as it is the case with all other complaints, it is of key importance to have staffs that are knowledgeable with respect to the legal area in question. As 72 stated above, having staffs that are is properly trained on issues relating to reproductive rights is in any event necessary for a NHRI that wants to work in this field. Reproductive rights are part of the larger right to health, protected among other things by the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. According to the Covenant, the right to health is

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