The Pulse Webinar

Transforming Family Planning

Moving Towards a Stronger Human Rights-Based Approach

Check out this episode of The Pulse of Family Planning with Dr. T organized by United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the International Conference on Family Planning (ICFP) in celebration of Human Rights Day 2023!

10 December 2023—Human Rights Day—marked the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which protects and fulfills individuals’ rights to quality contraceptive information and services. 

In this episode of The Pulse, United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health Dr. T moderated a virtual panel on strengthening the human rights-based approach to family planning programming. The discussion moved beyond the theoretical, offering practical guidance in the form of UNFPA’s cutting-edge support tool. Speakers from around the world shared best practices as well as their experiences incorporating the tool into their programming.

Bringing the transformative vision of human rights approaches to life requires commitment and collaboration. Watch this conversation to advance the unfinished sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) agenda and help ensure that every family planning program and intervention places human rights at the center.

Human Rights-based Approach to Family Planning: Support Tool

 Expanding access to contraceptive services and improving health outcomes require services to be delivered in ways that respect, protect and fulfill the human rights of everyone who seeks or uses contraceptive information and services.

This new tool published by UNFPA provides practical guidance for assessing family planning programs through a human rights lens.

 

Moderator & Host of The Pulse

Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng (Dr.T)

United Nations Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Author,
and Reproductive Rights Activist

Founder of OurEquity and recently named United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, Tlaleng Mofokeng is a medical doctor with expertise advocating for universal health access, HIV care, youth-friendly services, and family planning, as well as comprehensive sexuality education, training and facilitation, and content production. 

Tlaleng Mofokeng is Commissioner at the Commission for Gender Equality in South Africa and member of the boards of Safe Abortion Action Fund, Global Advisory Board for Sexual Health and Wellbeing, Accountability International, and a 2017 winner of 120 Under 40: New Generation of Family Planning Leaders. She has a wide media portfolio as a TV and radio presenter with opinion pieces in international media. She holds a Bachelor of Surgery and Bachelor of Medicine from the Nelson Mandela School of Medicine, University of Kwa-Zulu Natal.

Featured Speakers

Uluk
Batyrgaliev

Board Member
Reproductive Health Alliance of Kyrgyzstan

Uluk Batyrgaliev is an international trainer-consultant on SRHR and media influencer in Kyrgyzstan. He is a Health Officer at the Eurasian Coalition for Health, Rights, Gender and Sexual Diversity (ECOM). He is a board member of the Reproductive Health Alliance of Kyrgyzstan, Vice-Chair of the International Planned Parenthood Federation‘s (IPPF) Board of Trustees, and Youth Focal Point in the Family Planning 2030 (FP2030) platform.

Uluk has 12 years of experience in family planning, SRHR, sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI), comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), and HIV, as well as over 6 years of experience in advocacy, human rights, developing policy briefs, conducting sociological and human rights research, minimum initial service package (MISP), developing training and information materials on SRHR and human rights.

Zuhura Mbuguni

National Family Planning Coordinator
Ministry of Health, Tanzania

Zuhura Mbuguni is a public health specialist with a nursing and midwifery background. She has over fifteen years experience working in the reproductive health field, particularly in family planning and adolescent and youth sexual and reproductive health (AYSRH) programming. She works with Tanzania’s Ministry of Health as a National Family Planning Coordinator and Government Focal Point for FP2030. She has vast experience working with various FP/RH partners including donors, development partners, implementing partners, civil society organizations (CSOs) at national and sub national levels.

Elijah
Kandie Rottok

Senior Human Rights Officer
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights

Elijah Rottok is an advocate of the High Court of Kenya with diverse experience in strategic programming, advocacy and monitoring of human rights. Elijah serves as a Senior Human Rights Officer of the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights based in Nairobi in the Division of Reforms and Accountability. He is the Gender Focal at the Commission, and also serves as a Board Member of the National Legal Aid Service. His ongoing passion to create access to justice for victims of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

Emilie
Filmer-Wilson

Senior Human Rights Adviser
The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

Emilie Filmer-Wilson is the Senior Human Rights Adviser at the UNFPA. She provides leadership and advisory support for UNFPA’s human rights works and efforts to “leave no one behind,” as well as advances research on the nexus between women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health.

She has over 18 years of experience working with development organizations on mainstreaming human rights; this includes as human rights policy specialist with the UN Development Coordination Office NY, (2011-2017); managing the UN systems human rights based approach training at the UN System Staff College in Turin, Italy; and knowledge management specialist on human rights for the UN Development Program (UNDP Oslo Governance Centre). Prior to joining the UN, she worked as a consultant with Department for International Development (DFID) and Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Development Assistance Committee (OECD-DAC), as well as with a national human rights NGO in Guatemala.

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This Event Aired on:

Date

Monday,
11 December
2023

Time

8-9 AM EST
1-2 PM GMT
3-4 PM CAT

Location

Zoom Webinar