Asia-Pacific Multi-Stakeholder Dialogue on Bodily Autonomy and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Join UNFPA and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) as they convene powerful and diverse voices from across the Asia-Pacific region.

The purpose of this dialogue is to  renew and inspire collective action together to advance women and girls’ bodily autonomy and sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) as our region emerges from the devastating setbacks of COVID-19.

Below are the details of the event

What:

As COVID-19 continues to threaten progress, let’s come together to reflect on how we’ve adapted our efforts to stay ahead of the curve.

Let’s identify where we need to amplify resources and ways we can support one another.

And let’s coordinate and intensify commitments to come out of the pandemic with stronger tools and partnerships that uproot harmful norms and practices, yielding power to girls and women so they can finally make their own choices about their bodies – a fundamental human right.

This essential dialogue builds to the culmination of the Generation Equality Forum (GEF) in Paris, to be held in June – a multi-stakeholder, civil society-centred global gathering convened by UN Women and co-hosted by France and Mexico.

The Regional Dialogue offers an interactive platform to facilitate the GEF’s efforts to foster an inclusive, vibrant and strengthened movement for gender equality and empowerment that is responsive to building back better from the COVID-19 crisis.

This timely event also builds on the newly launched 2021 State of World Population report from UNFPA, My Body is My Own: Claiming the right to autonomy and self-determination, which finds that nearly half of women in 57 countries, including several in the Asia-Pacific region, are denied the right to decide whether or not to have sex with their partners, use contraception or seek health care.

Where:

Live-streamed on Zoom in English and International Sign Language, with English closed captioning and interactive features to facilitate connection and shared learning.

Register:

https://unfpa.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZwuceGpqjwsHtGsCS3D0IdGo7JJpJ84qdEz

PROGRAMME

Opening remarks:

His Excellency, Mr Roland Galharague, French Ambassador to Malaysia

Interactive panel discussion:

Ms Tehmina Kaoosji (moderator), Independent broadcast journalist, gender activist and media personality, Malaysia
Ms Upala Devi, Regional Gender Technical Adviser, UNFPA Asia and the Pacific Regional Office (APRO)
Ms Tomoko Fukuda, Regional Director, IPPF East & South East Asia and Oceania Region
Ms Sivananthi Thanenthiran, Executive Director, The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW)
Ms Surakshya Giri, youth activist, Nepal
Ms Selai Korovusere, Director for Women, Ministry of Women, Children & Poverty Alleviation, Government of the Republic of Fiji

Questions and answers from online participants

Closing remarks:

Mr Björn Andersson, Regional Director, UNFPA APRO