Reproductive Health and Gender Equality in the Implementation of the UNGPs

Session partner:

• Reproductive Health Uganda

• Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia

• Reproductive Health Network Kenya

• Danish Family Planning Association

• Federation of Kenya Employers

• Ethiopia Horticultural and Producers and Exporters Association

• Federation of Uganda Employer

Background 

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On average, women earn only 77% of what men earn globally and for every 100 men that are promoted or hired into leadership positions, only 72 women achieve similar advancements. Working mothers on average earn less than working women without children.  Furthermore, access to parental leave, childcare, management of sexual and gender-based violence and family planning significantly affect women’s ability to participate at work.  Equality is the aim of the right to non-discrimination, and these are underlying principles of all human rights. Therefore, gender equality should be realized in all aspects of life, including access to work, fair and clear grievance handling system, commitment to Equal pay for equal work and SRHR at work. By realizing SRHR and gender equality at work, businesses can among others obtain healthier and more committed employees, access to a larger talent pool, better due diligence, and improvements in employee motivation, creativity, and motivation.

 

The African Forum on Business and Human Rights addresses key challenges, progress, and opportunities related to the implementation of the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights (UNGPs). Gender is a fundamental dimension to the UNGPs, and therefore we supplement the Forum with an event that shares experiences on promoting gender equality and SRHR in the world of work.

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Gender inequality and SRHR-related issues can express themselves differently from context to context, and the event will provide a venue for diving into different context of Uganda, Kenya, and Ethiopia. With the 2025 Forum anticipated to emphasize human rights due diligence and the protection of marginalized groups.

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Key Objectives
 

• Raise awareness among business stakeholders about the importance of managing harassment, offering remedy and reparations for responsible business conduct in Africa.

• Share best practices for integrating SRHR in different kinds of workplaces

• Discuss call for action and future directions

 

Building on the organizers' previous initiatives, the event will provide practical guidelines to businesses for mitigating SRHR-related risks.  While grounded in corporate responsibility principles, the session will also highlight the business case and commercial advantages of integrating SRHR perspectives into corporate operations.

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