This article is written by Pravita, Planning Analyst at the National Population and Family Planning Board.
- The problem: The common conceptualisation of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) integration in the climate crisis strategy remains to oversimplify SRHR to reduce population growth and demographic pressures on the environment.
- Why it matters: Solely viewing SRHR to mitigate the climate crisis can raise ethical dilemmas by oversimplifying it as a tool for a narrow agenda rather than upholding the broader principles of autonomy and justice.
- The solution: Any linkage between climate crisis mitigation and SRHR must be handled carefully. Adaptation strategies should use language that resonates with the principles of reproductive justice, fostering an inclusive and rights-based narrative.
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The intersections of climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) have started to receive attention from various stakeholders. According to the United Nations for Population Fund (UNFPA), a small but increasing number of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) has included reference to aspects of SRHR. However, any linkage between climate crisis mitigation and SRHR must be handled carefully.
There is a need to measure the provision of comprehensive SRHR education and other vital components of SRHR beyond the usual indicators.
A common narrative remains linking SRHR and the climate crisis regarding population control as a mitigation strategy. This narrative is problematic as it often distracts us from the true causes and actors primarily responsible for the climate crisis. To tackle this dangerous narrative, governments must acknowledge the unpleasant history of population control, critically assess the linkage between SRHR and climate change and address the structural inequalities that shape intersections between SRHR and climate change.
The history of contraceptive use is marked by a complex and often controversial relationship with population control measures. Notably, in the mid-20th century, policies such as forced sterilisations often targeted marginalised or vulnerable populations. These instances underscored the potential for SRHR to be misused as a tool for population control, neglecting individuals’ autonomy and agency.
SRHR can empower people, improving their capacity to cope with crises.
The idea of SRHR as a tool for population control to mitigate the climate crisis potentially replicates harmful practices. Such neo-colonial practices can further perpetuate injustices in climate adaptation strategies. By acknowledging past harms and injustices, we can avoid formulating indicators that equate SRHR improvement with population control or emissions reduction, prompting unethical programmatic practices. Particularly in connection to family planning and reproductive choice, there is a need to measure the provision of comprehensive SRHR education and other vital components of SRHR beyond the usual indicators, such as contraceptive uptake and access to contraception.
Critically assess the linkages between the climate crisis and SRHR
Critically assessing the link between the climate crisis and SRHR is crucial. Some of the selected impacts of climate change on SRHR are:
Extreme weather events that contribute to the disruption of SRH facilities, which potentially leads to increased unintended pregnancies and maternal mortality,
Extreme heat exposure for pregnant women, which leads to miscarriage and stillbirth,
Flood and rainfall shocks that lead to displacement and forced migration which increase gender-based violence.
UNFPA (2021)
While the impact of the climate crisis on SRHR has often been discussed, the role of SRHR in building resilience to the climate crisis needs to be emphasised more.
SRHR can empower people, improving their capacity to cope with crises. Comprehensive SRHR education and family planning services, for example, enable individuals to make informed decisions which translate to improved maternal and child health outcomes. With this in mind, SRHR better equipped the community to address the health impacts of climate change and gain the agency and tools to navigate and adapt to environmental challenges, ultimately enhancing overall community resilience.
Address structural inequalities
Structural inequalities intricately shape the intersections between Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and the climate crisis, amplifying vulnerabilities among marginalised communities. Deep-rooted disparities in access to healthcare, education and resources disproportionately affect women, girls and marginalised groups, rendering them more susceptible to the adverse impacts of climate change. We must incorporate rights-based, participatory and intersectional approaches to address these structural inequalities.
Governments must collaborate with local organisations, indigenous leaders and health practitioners. Through participatory workshops and community dialogues, we can identify the unique SRHR challenges women and girls face in the climate crisis context. It ensures that the voices of marginalised groups, such as people with disabilities and indigenous groups, are heard, acknowledging their traditional knowledge and needs. It integrates gender-responsive health services into disaster preparedness plans, ensuring women’s reproductive health needs are considered during emergencies. By incorporating these approaches, the initiative addresses immediate SRHR needs and fosters resilience by empowering women and communities to actively participate in climate adaptation efforts while upholding their rights and identities.
In summary, the climate crisis and unfulfilled SRHR are interconnected, with climate change exacerbating existing SRHR challenges and unfulfilled SRHR contributing to some factors that reduce climate change resilience. Addressing both issues using language and framing that resonate with rights and justice is vital. A rights-based, participatory, and intersectional approach is also vital in ensuring that SRHR is integrated into climate change adaptation efforts in a way that aligns with the principles of reproductive justice.
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(Image credit: Unsplash)
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