The initial meeting of the Coalition of Organizations on Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Rights is held

12.05.2016

Prishtina, 12 May 2016-

The first initial meeting of the Coalition of Organizations on Reproductive Health and Reproductive Health Rights in Prishtina was held yesterday. This Coalition is supported by the UNFPA office in Prishtina and coordinated by “Action for Mothers and Children.”

The initial participating organizations, also initial members of the Coalition, include: AHED, Artpolis, Health for All, Jeta/Vita, KOPF, Peer Educators Network (PEN), Kosovo Women’s Network, Patient Rights Association of Kosovo (PRAK), Kosovo Association for Promoting, Advancing and Protecting the Health of Teenagers, and Action for Mothers and Children (AMC).

This Coalition, although at its initial phases, aims to improve the policy, legal framework and awareness on reproductive health and reproductive health rights in Kosovo through regular evidence-based advocacy work of civil society organizations mobilized as a Coalition. The coalition will serve as an independent advocacy and monitoring body on policy and law implementation on reproductive health and reproductive health rights.

Reproductive health is defined as a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being in all matters related to reproductive system. The rights of reproductive health, among others, include the right to decide if, when and how to reproduce, the right of access to information related to reproductive health, the right to counseling services, education, preventive/screening programs on reproductive health diseases, and others. Although Kosovo has a basic legal infrastructure on reproductive health, the Coalition believes there is a need for enforcing its implementation, monitoring and assessment as well as a need to promote the rights on reproductive health in Kosovo.