Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and Post-2015 Agenda: An Investigation into Development Scenario

Sexuality and reproduction lie at the foundation of families and communities. Sexual and reproductive rights (SRR) are intrinsic human rights. They encompass respect for bodily integrity, the right to choose one’s partner and the right to decide on sexual relations and having children, among other things. By eliminating sexual and reproductive rights from the development equation, we are denying the value of our very existence as well as that of future generations. Sexuality is as much a part, if not more, of being fully human and fully alive as needing food and water to live. It is the essence of the joy of being alive and its meaning far broader than biological processes. In the discourse on the setting of the post 2015 agenda, addressing the gaps, weaknesses and lessons learnt from the current Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) is imperative. One of the glaring gaps in the MDGs pertains to that of human rights, equity, democracy and governance. Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) fall squarely into this space. SRHR are an often vaguely understood and overlooked component in development; yet their role is fundamental to achieving “sustainable well-being for all” in “the world we want”: two popular catchphrases in the post 2015 debate. Although SRHR proponents have been advocating for the full recognition of these rights for years, they have yet to be given their proper place in the development agenda for the future we want [1].