Women’s rights to decide if they want children, when they want them and with whom they want them. That was on the agenda at a high-level roundtable meeting in the Danish Ambassador Lars Lose’s Residence on Friday April 21st. Together with the Danish Minister for Development Cooperation, Ulla Tørnæs, Ambassador Lose hosted a roundtable discussion on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights.

An important agenda

The high-level meeting referenced the new initiative She Decides. She Decides is a movement initiated with the decreasing U.S. support for organizations working with family planning in developing countries. Accordingly, She decides works to strengthen women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR agenda). Put simply: Women’s right to decide if they want children, when they want children and with whom they want children.
The meeting was in continuation of the She Decides Conference co-hosted by Denmark and held in Brussels on March 2. The main purpose of the discussion this Friday evening was to keep the momentum of the movement and take She Decides forward. The attendants were asked to provide ideas for action points and concrete deliverables. Around the table were ministers and senior officials, UN executive directors, as well as CEO’s from civil society and private fund managers.

Brainstorm-session and a positive spirit

The atmosphere was good among the participants during the meeting. Everyone agreed on the objective and was ready to brainstorm ideas and tools to promote the agenda. She decides is working to increase both financial and political support for sexual health and family planning worldwide. Financial contributions go to the organizations affected by cuts. Contributions are therefore given to ongoing initiatives that improve access to lifesaving contraceptives, family planning, sexuality education and/or safe abortion.

Both Ambassador Lose and Minister Tørnæs hosting, were happy with the outcome of the meeting, and the movement’s forward strategy. She decides is a strong statement in support of women’s human rights – focusing on women in developing countries and the SRHR-agenda. An agenda with very important implications for every woman’s and girl’s own health, socio-economic situation and personal development.

You can read more about the initiative “She Decides” on www.shedecides.com