Enhance agency and address discrimination

One of the greatest impediments in making family planning accessible to those that desire and need it are harmful and discriminatory social and gender norms that limit use of contraceptives, especially for unmarried, adolescent girls and young women, and marginalized and vulnerable populations (e.g. persons with disabilities, LGBTIQ+). UNFPA and partners must strengthen governance mechanisms and capacities of governments, multisectoral actors, institutions, communities and systems to address discriminatory gender and sociocultural norms and stereotypes, create demand for family planning, address stigma and discrimination and other barriers to access, and improve client ability to articulate and advocate for their own needs while holding providers to account. UNFPA will work with implementing partners and governments to improve uptake of family planning services and contraception through interventions focused on improving knowledge, attitudes, perceptions and behaviours around family planning to address discriminatory social and gender norms.

Programmatic options

3.1.1 HRBA to FP: Apply an intersectional approach to address socioeconomic determinants and systemic inequities that hinder women and girls from exercising their right to live free from all forms of violence and discrimination. Use a human rights-based approach to identify intersecting forms of discrimination and to address the social inequalities and underlying power relations that lead to exclusion.

3.1.2 LNOB: Implement and strengthen human rights mechanisms including Treaty bodies and the Universal Periodic Review related to SRHR, and advocate for and build capacity of community representatives to draw on the recommendations to advocate for adherence to the human rights-based approach to family planning and the “leave no one behind” principles in national policies, strategies and programming. 

Programmatic options

3.2.1 Norms change: Strengthen the capacity and commitment of governments, health service providers, policymakers, the judiciary, institutions, communities and health and social systems to define and implement culturally-acceptable family planning interventions that address discriminatory gender and social norms and stereotypes. For effective and sustained transformation, consider going beyond social and behaviour change communication with a combination of other interventions that have a strong base in the human rights-based approach and gender-transformative approaches, e.g. engaging men and boys as champions.

3.2.2 Participation: Strengthen and build capacity to promote and improve the participation and inclusion of vulnerable populations in the definition of policies, strategies and programmatic frameworks, including youth and women with disabilities or from various ethnic groups, and other factors in leaving no one behind.

3.2.3 Behaviour change: Promote and support behaviour change communication programmes and reproductive rights literacy to support women to make informed and autonomous decisions related to their sexual and reproductive health and rights and reproductive/fertility intentions.

3.2.4 Contraceptive demand: Support demand-side research, particularly in rapid urbanization, low fertility and humanitarian settings, to improve uptake among women who want to avoid or delay pregnancy but are not using a modern method of contraception. 

Programmatic options

3.3.1 Community groups: Engage with community-led organizations, especially women-led organizations and the feminist movement, for collective action and advocacy around rights-based family planning to address social norms inhibiting access to contraceptive services by women and girls and adolescents.

3.3.2 Masculinities: Promote positive masculinities by engaging men and boys as agents and beneficiaries of change, and as strategic partners and allies in promoting and protecting women and adolescent girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights, shared responsibilities and shared decision-making around family planning.

3.3.3 SRHR empowerment: Empower marginalized populations including women and girls, indigenous people, ethnic minorities, young people, persons with disabilities and people of diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics (SOGIESC) through human rights-based and gender-transformative approaches to become leaders, have voice and be heard to expand their agency to exercise their reproductive health rights in utilizing family planning services.

3.3.4 Innovative platforms: Develop and support innovative platforms or channels (e.g. radio, television programmes, theater, social media (e.g. influencers, bloggers) for engaging with women and girls and other vulnerable groups and sharing information about sexual and reproductive health, including family planning.

3.3.5 Self-care interventions: Develop and support self-care interventions and practices for sexual and reproductive health including family planning for women and girls and those furthest behind.

3.3.6 Economic empowerment: Support interventions linking economic empowerment with sexual and reproductive choices among women and girls and other marginalized groups.

3.3.7 Shared responsibility: Promote shared responsibility for family planning between partners by increasing comprehensive knowledge of sexual and reproductive health and rights through community-based programmes.