Watering the EAC SRH Bill’s Advocacy Through Traditional Media
In 2023, we continued to influence the ongoing advocacy efforts in relation to the East Africa Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill 2021 and have heavily participated in the planning for the induction session of the new EAC parliamentarians in Kigali in November 2023. ZamaraFdn is part of the steering committee and partners to revamp the EAC SRH Bill discussions with the new EALA house. Unfortunately, the Bill couldn’t be passed during the 4th parliament. The Bill’s sponsor, Hon. Kennedy Mukulia, successfully moved a motion to defer the bill for consideration in the 5th Parliament in May 2023. This decision to save the bill for the 5th parliament is a positive sign that the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) recognizes the importance of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) as a regional priority that warrants comprehensive legislation. Notably, significant changes occurred within EALA with the conclusion of the 4th parliament. This year, we increased our campaign to increase awareness among different stakeholders at the local and regional levels of the importance of passing and supporting the EAC SRH Bill. One of our tactics was using the radio to pass our message. We hosted six sessions to build consensus with a wide range of stakeholders on the EAC SRH Bill, including the local communities. Additionally, we used the opportunity to amplify the voices of minoritised groups of women by bringing their perspectives and recommendations into the EAC SRH Bill conversation.
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