Reproductive Rights for Women in Africa

Emma LaVopa

The City College of New York

Abstract

This analysis informs the reader about the need for awareness and improvement when it comes to women’s reproductive rights in Africa. It covers three major Millennium Development Goals for women. There is focus on three MDGs that are underdeveloped or that have not received the attention they need. The text gives various obstacles that not only the organization has come across when trying to implement The African Women’s Protocol but also challenges that African women face in the struggle to gain reproductive rights.

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The article ‘The African Women’s Protocol: Bringing Attention to Reproductive Rights and the Millennium Development Goals’ targets organizations and leaders to inform them and attract awareness to gaining reproductive rights for African women. The authors,  Liesl Gerntholtz, Andrew Gibbs, and Samantha Willan go into detail about the MDGs (Millennium Development Goals) third, fifth, and sixth goals;  “…to combat HIV/AIDS… to promote gender equalities… (and) improve maternal health…”. (Gerntholtz, Gibbs, Willan, 2011, p. 1) The article explains how all these goals link together and depend on each other’s success to further their own. Only a few African countries have signed and ratified the new African Women’s Protocol that adapts the old Charter. Many factors make certain African countries unhelpful in these difficult situations like “anti-abortion legislation” (Gerntholtz et al, p. 1) and restricted access to sex education. The authors made the need for immediate change very apparent throughout the article with the use of rhetorical elements.

The text throughout this article provides a clear understanding of what specific rights need to be developed and paid more attention to. Each of these goals takes part in each other meaning that if one is lacking the others will also. The “…failure to progress in any of these three MDGs undermines progress in the other two.” (Gerntholtz et al, 2011, p. 1) The use of the word failure is harsh, and the authors repeat it several times reiterating urgency. This is meant to spark action in the reader, failure is almost a trigger word that people pay attention to because people simply do not like its negative connotation. The authors are trying to inform the reader on this heavy topic and in doing so persuading them to take part in the cause. The article’s arrangement is easy to navigate and the subhead sections flow into the main piece nicely.

The authors use various abbreviations of organizations that help combat undeveloped reproductive rights which are showing that not only are they well informed, but their peers are too. Some of the organizations mentioned include the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Organization of African Unity (OAU). Their stance is strong and forward, they provide a small area on the first page showing all the abbreviated organizations for simple access for their readers that do not know. The language used throughout the article is meant to resonate with the readers. The specific organization they are focusing on, MDG, is controlled by the United Nations which provides a step up in credibility. The use of language is easily understood showing that this article is trying to reach as many groups of people as possible. It provides the reader with a ‘main points’ section as well as a table showing what African countries have signed only and those that have ratified the African Women’s Protocol. The article is available to the public for free online allowing anyone to access it and educate themselves.

The main purpose of this article is to bring attention to the need for reproductive rights in Africa. Focusing on the MDGs that are undeveloped there’s “…emphas(is on) the uneven progress and that more must be done to ensure that the MDGs will be met…”. (Gerntholtz et al, 2011, p.1) Even though the MDG have come a long way in accomplishing their goals, there are still many roadblocks. The subheading ‘An Enabling Environment for Women’s Reproductive Rights in Africa’ in the article outlines five major setbacks that cause immense issues when it comes to gaining reproductive rights. This is showing the authors’ exigence, their want to fight the ‘criminalization of HIV transmission, anti-abortion laws, violence towards women, the lack of education on reproductive health for both sexes, and the failure of national policies on women’s reproductive rights.’ (Gerntholtz et al, p.2) The authors outlined these specific pinpoints that need to be tackled to reach the priority of reproductive rights. Women in Africa go through these challenges on a day to day basis and articles such as this are bringing overdue and deserved awareness to them. The tone these authors exert is urgent and time-sensitive. The authors are trying their best to show the audience that this is an urgent matter and needs immediate attention if things are going to change. It reminds that reader they are not just talking about statistics; they are talking about real women and children who need global aid.

At the time this article was written, April 2011, there were “only 29 out of 52 of the African Union countries (that had) currently signed and ratified the protocol.” (Gerntholtz et al, 2011, p.3). The article provides a table displaying which countries have signed and ratified the African Women’s Protocol according to data from 2011. Since this topic does not get the attention it needs there is no current update on the number of countries that have signed and ratified the protocol. This is a possible constraint because although the topic is current, not many people pay much attention to it. Even though this journal is open and free to the public, it is published in PLOS Medicine which already attracts a very specific audience of researchers and Women’s rights activists.

Articles like these are created to provide insight into what changes need to be acted upon and why. “Through the ratification, domestication, and transparent reporting on the African Women’s Protocol, a framework can be implemented… (and) significant steps can be made towards rolling back HIV and maternal mortality and thereby supporting the attainment of MDGs 3, 5, and 6.” (Gerntholtz et at, 2011, p.3) As mentioned previously, the lacking in one goal affects the other’s success. The intent the authors have to spread information about what changes need to occur in Africa to support the advancement of reproductive rights especially for African women, was successful. The work of organizations and authors like these are not over until the Reproductive Rights of women is heard, known, and changed in Africa.

References

Gerntholtz L, Gibbs A, Willan S (2011) The African Women’s Protocol: Bringing Attention to Reproductive Rights and the MDGs. PLoS Med 8(4): e1000429. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.2000429

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