AFRO-NETS> Advocacy for Improving Abortion Access - Call for Statement of Interest

[Zanele Hlatshwayo <Ansubuga@aol.com>]

Advocacy for Improving Abortion Access - Call for Statement of Interest
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The Women's Health Project, Johannesburg, South Africa

A CALL FOR A STATEMENT OF INTEREST TO NGOS IN AFRICAN COUNTRIES 
CONDUCTING ADVOCACY FOR IMPROVING ABORTION ACCESS

THE JOHANNESBURG INITIATIVE

The Initiative aims to build capacity among individuals and organisa-
tions engaged in advocacy for improving abortion access, either 
through legal change or by increasing access to and quality of ser-
vices.

This was a collaborative effort of 18 NGOs worldwide, 11 of whom con-
ducted research in their respective countries looking at factors that 
promoted or impeded access to abortion. A book consisting of 12 chap-
ters and detailing the findings from 11 countries was published in 
2001. 11 chapters interrogate factors that promoted or impeded abor-
tion access, either through legislation or service provision in 11 
individual countries. The 12th chapter is a comparative analysis that 
looks at all the findings.

The project is now in its second phase and we are sending out a call 
to NGOs in Africa who are interested in sharing the lessons that were 
generated through the collective experiences of the 18 participating 
countries.

Countries that were involved in phase 1 included Argentina, Austra-
lia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, Fiji, France, Guyana, India, Ire-
land, Italy, Kenya, Lithuania, Mexico, Nigeria, Poland, South Africa 
and the United States of America.

The project is divided into three phases.

Phase 1: Eleven of the 18 countries undertook research to study the 
factors that promoted or hindered abortion access in their countries. 
Using a common framework, they documented their experiences and these 
were published in the book: Advocating for Abortion Access: Eleven 
Country Studies.

Phase 2: Phase 2 aims to strengthen the capacity of activists to un-
dertake effective campaigns for the liberalisation and improvement of 
access to abortion services by sharing the lessons learnt in phase 
one. During this phase, activists will also identify any need for in-
formation, training and resources they may have if they want to pur-
sue ideas generated in the workshop.

Phase 3: The final phase of the initiative will focus on mobilising 
resources to support country based activities. The different coun-
tries will identify the type of resource they need, such as building 
specific advocacy skills; engaging with the media; training in coali-
tion building and maintenance of coalitions; building capacity to en-
gage effectively with diverse religious and cultural perspectives on 
abortion; building the capacity of local lawyers or human rights 
groups to use international law; or building the knowledge base of 
health activists regarding methods for safe abortion services. This 
project will support national NGOs in meeting these needs, either 
through in-country expertise or through the international abortion 
rights community.

IN ADDITION, THE WOMEN'S HEALTH PROJECT IS GIVING OUT FREE COPIES OF 
THE PUBLICATION IN EITHER ENGLISH OR SPANISH.

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PHASE TWO AND THREE BEING IMPLEMENTED IN 
YOUR COUNTRY, PLEASE WRITE A STATEMENT OF INTEREST (ABOUT 2 PAGES) 
TO:

Zanele Hlatshwayo
Women's Health Project
School of Public Health
University of the Witwatersrand
mailto:Ansubuga@aol.com

DEADLINE: 25 APRIL, 2002

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