WD2023: Global Gender Equality Activists call for integration to break silos

By Elias Hakizimana.

Gender equality and women rights activists from across the world are in Kigali, Rwanda discussing issues that hinder economic growth, resilience and access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) with a call to adopt integration models through breaking the silos.

The activists were participating in the ongoing Women Deliver (WD2023) conference whose objectives were to catalyze collective action to advance gender equality, holding leaders accountable, empowering the feminist movement, as well as creating an accessible and inclusive space for everyone.

During a panel discussion on the topic: “Breaking the silos, participants noted that a community needs to be able to demonstrate existing issues surrounding all domains of human lives such as health, education, climate change, economic growth, resilience and science research projects.

A good example of how breaking the silos has made significant change in education system is of Nicola Okero, a Kenyan activist and policy officer at the Food for Education (Food4education). She has managed to raise voices of young learners to get enough and quality meals at school.

“When you provide food at school, you help learners to concentrate while learning. Meals allow vulnerable families to send kids to school with a hope that they will succeed, it also helps to reduce financial burden on parents, improves growth and health for both girls and boys and boosts class attendance,” says Nicola.

However, she added that being silent could increase vulnerabilities especially of women and adolescent girls, especially those living with disabilities.

“Adolescents, especially those living with disabilities, are hidden and have no access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) such as access to contraceptives and Family Planning (FP) services. We have been talking about integration for so long, but when are we going to start acting?” Stella, young activist from Uganda says.

Clive Mutunga, Director of the USAID-funded BUILD Project noted that there has never been a moment when breaking the silos is needed as is now, when Africa is faced with climate change problem.

He said integrated approaches in sexual and reproduction of health, environment and development however require girls to come out and break the silence from being observers to active participants.

Shonel Lunkuse, Young activist from Uganda said breaking the silence is a powerful tool that girls can use in ensuring integration of young women and girls into climate change and deliver them from gender violence.

“As an advocate, I stand for the interests of people I am supposed to help. However, I see how climate change is affecting young women among the communities I work in. Nevertheless, am personally limited. I have no idea of how I should respond,” she said.

 

She said while she empowers girls, she too needs understand how climate change affects the girls and how she can build resilience among them.

She calls up on all key community activists including those working around climate change, Gender-Based Violence (GBV), mental health and others to join efforts to support others.

Mutunga however said those in SRHR need to demonstrate value add to make things easier for players from other sectors to integrate with the health players.

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