Climate Change x Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Framework
Photo by Mohamed Lammah on Unsplash
Understanding the impacts of climate change on sexual and reproductive health programs
Project:
Climate Change x Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Framework
Location:
Global
Funders:
Organon
Challenge
Climate change has been identified by the World Health Organization and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change as the biggest global health threat of the 21st century, and it presents a growing and disproportionate health risk for women and girls in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). This is mainly a result of women and girls’ on-average greater exposure and susceptibility to natural hazards and climate-related damage, as well as less ability to respond to reproductive health impacts, due to cultural and societal norms. In particular, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) programs are impacted by increasing extreme weather events, migration, and health system strain. However, an unfortunate silo exists between the SRH sector and the climate adaptation sector when it comes to funding, implementation, and research. For example, the gendered impacts of climate change (such as diminished SRH access) are often not considered in climate adaptation programs or impact measurement; Vice versa, the robust evidence base around intensifying climate impacts is often not consulted by SRH funders or implementers during program design and analysis.
If SRH-focused funders continue with a business-as-usual approach, without proactively considering climate impacts and adapting their strategies, evidence suggests a risk of backsliding on key SRH outcomes and a lower return on the social impact of philanthropic or corporate social responsibility investments.
However, when funders take a climate-informed approach to SRHR investments, they can be a positive impact multiplier for women and girls. As climate-related hazards (i.e., drought, flooding, migration, infectious diseases) intensify, particularly in the Global South, actively integrating a climate lens into SRH service delivery is essential in order to build relevant, resilient interventions that are used and owned by the community. This in turn creates a positive feedback loop– when women and girls have access to quality SRH, they are more resilient to the impacts of climate change and also more able to participate in leadership roles to build community-level climate resilience.
Photo by Images of Empowerment
Innovation
In partnership with global healthcare company Organon, YLabs created a strategic framework to bring a climate lens to sexual reproductive health investments in low- and middle-income, climate-vulnerable countries. The framework is a guide for SRHR funders on how to practically yet strategically assess, anticipate, and respond to the gendered impacts of climate change on their SRHR programs and grant investments.
Understanding the intersection of climate and gender will not only increase the effectiveness of existing SRHR programming, but will allow the sector to become more proactive in developing future-forward strategies that address key emerging and intensifying stressors in the lives of women and girls around the world.
Next Steps
YLabs and Organon launched the Climate Change x Sexual and Reproductive Health Framework during Women Deliver 2023! Guided by a global advisory board of experts, youth activists, and funding partners working at the intersection of climate change and SRHR, the framework is a first step toward integrated health and climate action.
View our joint webinar with Organon on how you can take action at the intersection of health and climate using the framework.
If you are interested in getting involved, please reach out to contact@ylabsglobal.org.