Across Africa, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are witnessing steady, if uneven, progress as several countries reform policies, expand access to contraception and maternal healthcare, strengthen HIV prevention, and challenge long-standing social stigmas.
This was the dominant message at a recent continental convening of gender justice advocates, where speakers highlighted policy shifts and community-led initiatives that are slowly improving outcomes for women, girls and young people, even as the region confronts mounting economic, political and humanitarian pressures.
Participants noted that in the last few years, reforms in parts of the continent have widened access to reproductive health services and advanced gender equality frameworks, demonstrating that progress is possible with political will and sustained advocacy. However, they warned that these gains remain fragile and risk being reversed as funding shrinks, civic space narrows and backlash against gender and sexual rights intensifies.
Speaking at the gathering, Jude Thaddeus Njikem of Sonke Gender Justice said Africa’s social development movement has recorded increased momentum over the past five years, with sexual and reproductive health and political rights advancing in some countries.
“Change has brought us here because we have all committed to change,” Njikem said, describing the convening as part of a broader movement demanding transformation for communities and the continent at large.
He acknowledged, however, that progress remains uneven, with women, girls, young people and gender-diverse groups facing growing risks from armed conflict, climate-related disasters and shrinking resources. Njikem revealed that funding cuts have forced nearly 90 per cent of women-led organisations to shut down, silencing critical grassroots voices and weakening accountability mechanisms.
Despite these challenges, he stressed that investment in Africa’s rapidly growing youth population remains a powerful opportunity. Failure to act, he warned, could deny millions of women access to contraception, expose millions of girls to unintended pregnancies and contribute to preventable maternal deaths.
The meeting also examined the role of African human rights instruments, particularly the Maputo Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, as a key framework for advancing gender justice. Advocates said strengthening implementation of the protocol could help consolidate recent gains and protect hard-won rights.
Maliha Khan, Chief Executive Officer of Women Deliver, said the continent’s progress must be understood within a difficult global context marked by a rollback of rights, the rise of conservative governments and overlapping crises, including climate shocks and conflict.
She noted that Africa’s youthful population makes it especially vulnerable to these pressures, while recent cuts in overseas development assistance have weakened health, education and social protection systems. Still, Khan praised the resilience of African activists and growing regional cooperation to mobilise local resources and sustain momentum.
“There is power in solidarity and regional convenings,” she said, adding that African voices would play a central role at the next Women Deliver Global Conference scheduled for April 2026 in Melbourne, Australia.
Echoing these sentiments, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Country Representative in Kenya, Anders Thomsen, described the gathering as a crucial African-led effort to reclaim civic space and rebuild feminist and youth-driven power ahead of the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals.
While warning that deep aid cuts could reverse decades of progress, Thomsen said collective activism and intergenerational collaboration remain strong forces for change. He highlighted UNFPA initiatives that empower young people to lead, stressing that youth are not merely leaders of the future but leaders of today.
Anchoring advocacy in African frameworks such as the Maputo Protocol, he said, reinforces that the struggle for gender equality is both locally grounded and globally relevant.
Despite the headwinds, speakers agreed that Africa stands at a critical crossroads. With coordinated action, innovative financing and renewed accountability from governments and international partners, they said the continent can protect recent gains in sexual and reproductive health and rights and reshape the narrative for millions of women, girls and young people.
