As a partner of Amplify Change, GL is managing a new sub granting portfolio – the Voice and Choice Southern Africa Fund. We are a challenge fund that responds to ideas presented by civil society to strengthen sexual and reproductive health and rights. The mapping report that preceded the launch of this fund can be found here. 

From 2018 to 2021 the Amplify Change – funded “Voice and Choice, from Local to Regional Action” campaign has galvanised the Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance and 100 COE on key SRHR concerns. Partnerships between health NGOs and WRO have been strengthened creating a strong #VoiceandChoice movement. Regional, national and local strategy meetings that mapped 91 SRHR (21 youth and 9 LGBTI) have strengthened the SRHR cluster within the Alliance partners.

These have mounted 40 national campaigns on menstrual and maternal health; Adolescent SRHR; safe abortion; child marriage; GBV; HIV and AIDS and sexual diversity. SADC has adopted a visionary SRHR strategy. Partners have shared 400 SRHR best practices at SADC Protocol@Work summits.

GL’s supports networks and coalitions to build the SRHR movement through the Southern African Gender Protocol Alliance (the Alliance) a network of national focal WRO that produces an annual Barometer on the status of women in the region. In 2020 GL produced the 12th edition of the Barometer entitled #VoiceandChoice in the Time of COVID-19.

The Alliance SRHR country networks used the Barometer findings to review and re-focus national SRHR campaigns to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. All country chapters increased lobbying and advocacy efforts to address rising levels of gender-based violence. GL provided Alliance country networks with Zoom accounts to meet and run virtual seminars. Networks used the Alliance Facebook and Twitter accounts to share key concerns and progress on the SRHR campaigns. In Eswatini, the Young Women’s Alliance conducted virtual #YourSODVYourRight campaigns to ensure communities knew what reporting and support was provided for in the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act 2018.

Read more on the SRHR strategy.