Governance and participation in health

The Commonwealth Women Parliamentarians (CWP) which is an organ of the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association (Africa Region) held a two day East Africa Sub-Regional sensitization workshop in July 2016. Themed “Establishing CWP Chapters to Leverage Women Representation and Advocacy,” the CWP sensitization workshop is to encourage all branches to set up CWP Chapters and functional structures and adoption of the guidelines fully and to advocate for policies legislation and programmes that eradicate social, cultural and religious practices that are harmful to the women. Rt. Hon. Mukabalisa said that Rwanda’s achievements in gender equality and women empowerment have been made possible by the strong political will and the commitment from the highest level, accompanied by innovative, home-grown and people centered development approaches. Hon. Angela Thoko Didiza Vice Chairperson of CWP Africa Region and its current Acting Chairperson stated that despite the recognition of women’s rights and need for deliberate action towards the empowerment of women; there remains a marked difference in the status and access of men and women in political, social, economic domains. She confirmed that even where has been progress, there are still challenges in ensuring the full participation of women, “ensuring gender equality and participation of women in decision-making position is imperative to human development. There is a need to change the traditional roles that limit women’s potential, as well as acknowledge women’s full contribution to social and economic development.”

A new project ‘woman, rise’ is a special collaboration project with Ghanaian muralist, Ayambire Faustina Nsoh, who descends from a tradition of women-led painting that carries lessons and messages around ethics and social relations, as well as a practice in space and design making daily life more beautiful. Visually, ‘woman, rise’, draws on how Nsoh learned how to paint from her grandmother in Sirigu, northern Ghana, and the global activist tradition of political murals, graffiti and stenciling. Horn’s project asks some critical probing by asking these questions: When we dream of African freedom, do we dream in the colours of our grandmothers’ cloths? Do we dream in the voice of young women rallying in a public square for an end to tyranny? And as we dream, do we hear the sound of women spirit mediums fortifying our souls by humming the ancestors into our midst? These women crafters of our liberation- do we know their names? These women who have offered heartbeat and intellect and magic to clear space in the world so all of us can breathe, do we know their faces? ‘Woman, rise’ explores the spirit of African women’s dynamic contributions to shaping selves, communities and a world that is equal. It invokes the history of African women who have worked against the grain of social expectations and offered their spiritual, intellectual and emotional power to the work of social change.

Closing space for African sexual and gender minority groups is argued by this author to affect access to critical services that no one else provides. In Kenya, for example, the Muslims of Human Rights (MUHURI) provide safe injection sites to prevent the sharing of needles among drug users, as studies show that needle sharing facilitates the spread of HIV. As a result, when the state froze the group's bank accounts, the crackdown also threatened the safety and wellbeing of people who need HIV treatment and care. To fight on their own, many GSM groups have been using the courts to help win victories. Whether it has been appealing the repressive Ugandan anti-gay law, or ordering the un-freezing of bank accounts in Kenya, or ruling against the denial of registration of LEGABIBO (an LGBT rights group in Botswana), most of these court victories are based on constitutionally guaranteed rights and freedoms of most open and democratic countries, and held under the International Declaration of Human Rights. Fostering partnerships with international organizations such as UNAIDS and the UN Human Rights Council has been very helpful for GSM organizations to facilitate their role in service access.

The author argues that the proposed Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH) could establish a nuanced, layered, and multi-faceted regime of compliance and accountability to the right to health and strengthen accountability for the health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). If legally binding, he argues that the FCGH could facilitate accountability through the courts and catalyze comprehensive domestic accountability regimes, requiring national strategies that include transparency, community and national accountability and participatory mechanisms, and an enabling environment for social empowerment. A “Right to Health Capacity Fund” could ensure resources for these strategies. Inclusive national processes could establish targets, benchmarks, and indicators consistent with FCGH guidance, with regular reporting to a treaty body, which could also hear individual cases. State reports could be required to include plans to overcome implementation gaps, subjecting the poorest performers to penalties and targeted capacity building measures. Regional special rapporteurs could facilitate compliance through regular country visits and respond to serious violations. And reaching beyond government compliance, from capacity building to the courts and contractual obligations, the author proposes that the FCGH could establish nationally enforceable right to health obligations on the private sector.