Sexual and Reproductive Rights

SALC’s Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights programme has the following objectives:

  • To ensure a human rights approach in management of teenage/adolescent and learner pregnancy
  • To challenge the practice of child and forced marriage
  • To ensure accountability for health care violations relating to sexual and reproductive health rights
  • To promote recognition and respect for sexual and reproductive health rights
  • To challenge laws and practices that violate sexual and reproductive health rights
  • To ensure accountability for and eradication of gender-based violence.

On-going cases:

Malawi: Challenge to the arrest and removal from school of pregnant learners
Botswana: Challenging prescription in medical negligence claim 
Eswatini (Swaziland): Challenging laws allowing child marriage

 

 

Precedent cases:

Zimbabwe: Case strengthening women’s access to reproductive health services.
Namibia: Challenging coerced sterilisation of women living with HIV.
Malawi: Advancing the best interests of the child in sentencing of caregivers.
Malawi: Challenging the criminalisation of breastfeeding by women living with HIV.
Lesotho: Challenge to unfair dismissal as a result of pregnancy in the Lesotho Defence Force.

 

05 Apr 2019 Staff Writer
News Release: Malawi High Court upholds the rights of detained pregnant learners...

In April 2019, the High Court of Malawi, sitting at Mzuzu, in the case of ON and 13 Others v Child Protection Team issued a judgment reviewing the decision of a First Grade Magistrate to impose fines on learners and…

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23 Jan 2019 Staff Writer
Media Advisory: Malawi High court to hear case on Freedom of Expression...

Lilongwe, Malawi – On Monday 28 January 2019, the Malawi High Court will hear the case of a female Human Rights Defender who was arrested and detained by the Police for holding a poster deemed to be offensive whilst attending a…

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23 Jan 2019 Tambudzai Gonese
Protecting right to freedom of expression for Woman Human Rights Defenders...

SALC is supporting the Women Lawyers Association (WLA) of Malawi to challenge the arbitrary arrest and detention of a Woman Human Rights Defender(WHRD) on a charge of "Insulting the Modesty of a Woman" in contravention of section 137(3) of the…

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27 Nov 2018 Tambudzai Gonese
Calling for the total elimination of violence against women and children in Zimb...

The recent report of the killing of a young  lawyer on the night of the 25th November 2018,the International day of Elimination of Violence Against Women, by her partner brings home the gravity and currency of the problem of violence…

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31 Oct 2018 Tambudzai Gonese
Botswana Court Decision amounts to a Step in the Right Direction in ensuring the...

The recent decision of the Botswana Court of Appeal in the case of  GMJ v Attorney General clarifying the limits of the law regarding the  prescription of  medical negligence claims, is an important decision, not only in general, but as…

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31 Oct 2018 Staff Writer
Dynamic African Human Rights Defender wins UN Human Rights Award 2018...

SALC extends its hearty congratulations to a prolific young woman human rights defender, Rebeca Gyumi, for receiving the well-deserved UN Human Rights Award for 2018 in recognition of her work in advancing the rights of girl children. Rebeca is the…

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