Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights and the Post-2015 Development Agenda (Briefing Cards)

Produced by Family Care International (FCI) and co-authored by partners in the Universal Access Project, "these briefing cards detail the linkages between sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and other key development issues including environmental sustainability, gender equality, economic growth, educational attainment, and broader health goals. They present key facts about the impact of SRHR on the broader development agenda and make recommendations for inclusion of SRHR in the post-2015 development framework." According to the publication's introduction, the briefing cards can be used by a wide range of stakeholders to advocate for governments to ensure the comprehensive inclusion of SRHR within the post-2015 development framework.
The publication explains that SRHRs "encompass the right of all individuals to make decisions concerning their sexual activity and reproduction free from discrimination, coercion, and violence." It is argued that achieving SRHR is integral to achieving many shared global development goals. The publication outlines the links with SRHR related to the following development areas:

• Education: Early marriage, pregnancy and violence in schools result in high levels of school dropout rates for girls, while girls often also lack the needed information and education to keep them safe and healthy. The briefing notes recommend that goals and targets be set "that reinforce the strong connections between girls’ education and their sexual and reproductive health, both of which have lifelong implications for girls' well-being as well as for that of future generations."
• Economic Benefits: Protecting SRHR can reduce healthcare costs, improve productivity, and increase rates of education which lead to greater economic growth. Investments in SRHR translate into saved costs across other sectors, and women and girls who can plan their families are more able to participate in the economy. Thus, it is recommended that universal access to SRHR should be part of strategies to address economic growth.
• Broader Health Agenda: According to the briefing, "Universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights can positively affect maternal, newborn, and child health, HIV/AIDS, TB, malaria and non-communicable diseases, because all involve similar underlying gender, cultural, and social factors." More efforts are recommended to integrate SRHR into health services and strategies.
• Gender Equality: "Inequality between women and men undermines all development goals. When women and girls lack access to education, information and services, their health and rights suffer. When women and girls do not have full access to sexual and reproductive health and rights, their ability to contribute economically, socially and politically to their communities is severely constrained." The briefing proposes that gender equality underpins all development objectives, and to achieve equality "it is critical to guarantee women and girls access to the full range of sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to sexual and reproductive health services. These services must go beyond access to contraceptive methods to integrate other actions across sectors, such as sexual and reproductive health education."
• Environment: "Women who have the ability to plan their family size are more resilient to climate disruption, more likely to participate in local conservation efforts, and better able to manage resources for their families." Women are more affected by environmental challenges like climate change and disasters, but at the same time are often more accepting of environmentally friendly practices, thus it is necessary to engage with women and consider SRHR in environmental efforts. This will include increasing female participation in decision making bodies, activities, and education related to climate disruption, resource management, agriculture, and the environment.