Sexual and reproductive health and rights

We are  committed to upholding the feminist SRHR agenda. We aspire to do so as allies to, and in partnership with, women’s rights and SRHR activists, LGBTIQA+ activists and networks, and civil society organizations that promote social justice and human rights.

Recent years have seen the erosion of reproductive rights and the continued denial of sexual rights. This is particularly true for people who do not conform to traditional norms about sex, gender, and sexuality.

As a global Alliance, we aim to promote work that supports broader efforts to challenging stigma, discrimination, attitudes and laws that undermine the fulfillment of SRHR for all.

Explore resources on SRHR and masculinities.

Why we support SRHR

We have partnered with feminist organizations to support us in the process of understanding the complexity of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

We acknowledge women’s realities and leadership in claiming sexual and reproductive services and rights. We support the need to remove the gendered power dynamics that block and limit people’s access to SRHR.

MenEngage Alliance seeks to:

• Consult and partner with women’s rights and social justice organizations
• Improve our own understanding of accountable practices, among our members and others working to transform patriarchal masculinities and engage men and boys for gender justice.
• Promote work with men and boys that seeks to transform social gender norms and expectations and is based on feminist and human rights principles.
• Bring together tools and knowledge that reflect our trust in evidence from research and practice around SRHR. This includes learning tools and practices that are transformative and inclusive, particularly those that address masculinities, power, the gender binary, and control over people’s sexualities.
• Cultivate commitment to change, inclusivity and equality.
• Acknowledge the complexity of health, gender and sexuality, and what people experience when trying to make decisions about their health, reproduction, sexuality and personal wellbeing.
• Share different voices and experiences about individuals and communities and their work in SRHR, and how they experience the intersection of multiple barriers and oppression.

How we support SRHR

We are committed to supporting the sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people. In particular, we strive to support the health and wellbeing of women, girls, LGBTQIA+ people, young people, and all who are excluded from access to health care, services and education.

MenEngage Alliance supports

• Access to contraception and sexual health care. This includes promoting access to information on HIV and sexually transmitted diseases (STD), and treatment that is friendly and inclusive.
• Women’s right to safe abortion care. We aim to center women’s right to choose and access safe and legal abortion.
• Ending homophobia, biphobia, and transphobia. This includes promoting equality in access to contraceptive methods and services – regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, or sexual characteristics.
• Ending female genital mutilation (FGM), early & forced marriage, and early childbirth
• Comprehensive sexuality education that is science-based and that acknowledges gender identity, sexual orientation and gender-based inequalities.
• Increasing men’s access to and use of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services including HIV services.

Gender-based violence and SRHR are inextricably linked

When people are denied health care or access because of their gender identity or expression, that contributes towards gender-based violence. This includes denial of comprehensive sexuality education, policies that reduce and limit access to contraception, and denial of HIV/STD information and treatment, or sexual and reproductive health care. In order to change social norms and attitudes that perpetuate gender inequalities, we are committed to challenging stigma and violence.