Prioritizing Reproductive Health, Empowering Women and Girls

Next week, delegates from around the world will gather in New York City for the 56th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW). Every year, leaders meet to assess where the world stands on gender equality, and how far we have come -- and need to go -- in advancing women's rights.

This year's theme is the empowerment of rural women and their role in ending poverty and hunger, which very much resonates with the Women's Refugee Commission's work. Millions of women and girls displaced by conflict and natural disasters are currently living in camps or rural villages and settlements in remote areas, often in the most precarious conditions. They, too, deserve the opportunities and the tools to contribute to the well-being of their families and the development of their communities. And when we invest in displaced women and girls, we are also making a long-term investment in peace and stability when conflict ends.

That's why the Women's Refugee Commission will be advocating that the concerns of the displaced be fully integrated in the CSW's delegates' deliberations and in their commitments to action. We will make the point that effective humanitarian assistance programs depend on the full inclusion of displaced women and girls in the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of relief and recovery activities. We will argue that the international community must redouble its efforts to improve protection for refugee women and girls in rural areas, ensure they can go to school and acquire skills training and that they are able to safely earn a living. And we will press for a renewed commitment to quality reproductive health care.

Reproductive health care and women's empowerment go hand in hand. Sometimes, especially in remote settings, access to reproductive health care is also a question of life and death. We know that maternal mortality rates are especially high in conflict-affected countries and that displaced women and girls are at very high risk of sexual violence. These stark facts prompted the development of the Minimum Initial Service Package (MISP) for Reproductive Health Services in Crisis Situations, which is now the established international standard for reproductive health services that should be implemented from the very onset of an emergency. These activities are designed to prevent and respond to sexual violence, prevent maternal and newborn deaths and reduce HIV transmission. The good news is that we have seen real improvements in MISP's implementation since it was launched 13 years ago. But we are still far from seeing comprehensive implementation of the MISP in every emergency. CSW is a good opportunity for all parties to reaffirm their commitment to this goal.

more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/sarah-costa/prioritizing-reproductive_b_1300121.html