Does current FCDO policy address the concerns of sexual and reproductive health advisors?
The benefits of investing in family planning are well-reported, impacting on individual women and children, their households, communities and at country and global level. A study commissioned by the Department for International Development in 2016 reported that family planning empowers women, improves infant and child health, increases household investment in individual children, increases the labour force, reduces poverty, and slows down population growth, making progress towards a sustainable human population.
In the opening evidence session of the Committee’s inquiry into the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s approach to sexual and reproductive health, MPs will hear first-hand from those who advise and provide services in this field and who can provide oversight of the UK’s impact.
Reproductive healthcare includes access to contraception, infertility treatment, gynaecological care, maternal healthcare, and newborn healthcare. The UK funds sexual and reproductive health programmes through both bilateral and multilateral channels. The flagship aid programmes in these areas are the Women’s Integrated Sexual Health programme and the Reproductive Health Supplies programme.
Meeting details
The UK also reiterated its commitment in the International Development Strategy and the International Women and Girls Strategy to help end female genital mutilation in lower-income countries.
This scene-setting session will range across:
- The benefits of sexual and reproductive healthcare for women and families
- The challenges faced by lower-income countries in delivering sexual and reproductive healthcare
- How well the UK tackles the challenges of delivering contraception
- Whether enough is offered to support maternal health
- The inclusivity of services
- The impact of cuts to UK aid in this area
- The UK’s current approach to helping end female genital mutilation.