By Lipuo Mokhesi
Sir: Across East and Southern Africa, many women and young people still struggle to access the sexual and reproductive health services that they need. The United Nations Population Fund’s regional findings show that conflicts, climate disasters, and inequality continue to block access to contraception, maternal care, and domestic violence protection services.
When social norms restrict women and young people from making decisions about their bodies, their freedom and dignity are violated. Lack of access to Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) is not just a health issue, but a direct threat to individual rights and freedom. To reverse this reality, African societies must treat SRHR as a shared community responsibility, intentionally blend indigenous knowledge with modern healthcare, and place young people at the centre of SRHR decision-making.
SRHR shapes the freedom and dignity of African women and young people. Without access to SRHR, girls drop out of school and lose the opportunity to maximise their potential. The burden is threefold: families and communities lose future leaders, economies lose productivity, and health systems incur preventable complications and costs. Protecting SRHR is essential for freedom, individual rights, and a future where every young person can thrive.
As Africans, Ubuntu reminds us that “I am because we are.” SRHR must be treated as a collective responsibility, not just an individual concern. Traditional leaders must be trained on SRHR, community dialogues must be organised that include youth, and SRHR messages must be integrated into community gatherings and church meetings. This approach is important because sexual and reproductive health affects families, communities, and societies at large. Community involvement ensures that no one faces these challenges alone.
Evidence from across Africa demonstrates the effectiveness of this solution. For example, in Uganda, programmes that involve traditional and religious leaders in SRHR education have increased access to contraception, improved maternal health, and reduced gender-based violence. When trusted community figures lead, people participate and adopt healthy practices.
Africa has rich traditions of healing, midwifery, and community care. In Lesotho, for example, traditional herbs have long helped women with reproductive problems like morning sickness, safe deliveries, and strengthened recovery.
Rather than seeing culture as a barrier, African countries can use it as a tool to advance SRHR for African young people and women. African countries must map local traditions, train health workers on cultural sensitivity, involve traditional healers in SRHR programmes, and co-design services with young people and elders.
By including safe traditional local healthcare practices, health programmes will build trust and increase participation, especially in communities that may view modern clinics with suspicion. Furthermore, integrating traditional birth attendants with medical staff will improve maternal health, increase contraception intake, and reduce maternal mortality.
Youth are the defining force for the future, particularly in Africa, which currently boasts the world’s youngest population. Giving them a chance to lead in SRHR through youth clubs, peer education, and community dialogues ensures that their rights are protected and their voices shape the future. Young people understand their own realities better than anyone else because they know the gaps and the solutions that will actually work for them.
African countries must prioritise youth clubs at the community and national levels, train peer educators, and involve youth in the design and monitoring of SRHR programmes to promote youth inclusion because nothing is for youth without youth. Also, community dialogues should actively include young voices alongside elders and health workers.
This is vital because programmes designed without young people often miss the impact. When young people lead, participation rises, stigma reduces, and services become more relevant and accessible. Across Africa, youth-led initiatives in Uganda, South Africa, and Nigeria have increased contraceptive uptake, improved sexual health education, and empowered girls and boys to make informed choices.
When society denies a woman her rights and silences one young person, everyone loses. If African women and young people cannot claim their rights, inequality will deepen, violence will normalise, and generations will grow without freedom. This crisis lives today in homes, schools, churches, and communities. However, if solutions are rooted in Ubuntu and communities collaborate to strengthen SRHR, Africa can be a healthy home where freedom thrives.
Lipuo Mokhesi is a writing fellow at African Liberty.
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