1. June 2016 Workshop
Summary of Outcomes
July 2017
Karen Newman

2. Reach a common understanding
Objectives
Reach a common understanding
Establish where we are in defining, implementing and measuring a rights-based approach
Plan for moving forward:
Explore how we can hold ourselves accountable
of what a rights-based family planning program looks like and what it takes to operationalize it;
to family planning, including what resources exist; identify gaps;
Formulate recommendations for collaboratively advancing a rights- based approach to family planning related to:
Messaging and communication;
Operationalizing the approach in FP programs;
Research, monitoring and measuring human rights in FP programs
– both for integrating a rights- based approach into existing family planning programs and for donors and countries to support these efforts.

3. Key sessions Who’s doing what? Where? Critical themes
Concern about the promotion of long-acting reversible contraceptive methods (LARCs) and postpartum contraception,
The rights imperative of equity and the challenge of serving the most vulnerable;
The need to focus more attention on rights related to abortion as part of the SRHR agenda.
The need for simple ways to convey the complex concepts related to human rights in healthcare programs.
The need to work both at the ground level and to work as well politically with policy-makers at district and national levels.

4. Critical tensions and questions
Quality is necessary, but is it sufficient?
How to identify and address problems without jeopardizing relationships with or between governments and donors?
Unintended consequences: Can efforts to increase uptake of a particular method with the intention of increasing choice have the effect in practice of decreasing choice?
Can we focus on rights even as we are working toward a time bound deadline and the focus on an aspirational numerical goal?

5. Critical questions, tensions, themes
The importance of promoting rights-based approach to family planning programs
Essential rights elements and concepts
AAAQ
Agency and Autonomy
Empowerment
Equity and Non-discrimination
Informed Choice
Transparency and Accountability
Voice and Participation
Full, Free, Informed Choice

6. Critical questions, tensions, themes (cont’d)
Operationalizing a rights-based approach
Yes, we can measure rights
Embrace complexity
Engage communities
Single method family planning programs: increasing access and options or denying choice?
Quality: necessary, but is it sufficient?
You’ve identified a rights violation. Now what?
Are rights intrinsically incompatible with working towards time-bound deadlines and the focus on an aspirational numerical goal?

7. Going Forward Take-home messages What is needed Recommendations
Eg it’s complex; a different lens through which to view our work; language matters; collect data that’s useful for programme managers
What is needed
Eg appeal to different stakeholders; document the difference a rights-based approach makes; simplify the language to make it practical and measurable; protect the human; strengthen accountability mechanisms
Recommendations
Advocacy and messaging
Operationalizing the approach
Monitoring and measuring human rights, and research