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It has three interrelated components: a) Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) – to enhance the capacity of rights holders to individually and collectively understand, respect, promote and claim their SRHR; b) Access to Justice (A2J) – to individually and collectively advocate for human rights in various decision-making bodies, locally, nationally and regionally; c) Economic Empowerment (EE) – to enhance entrepreneurship and improve the living standards of the fishing community.
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The Lake Victoria Rights Programme (LVRP)
The Lake Victoria Rights Programme’s (LVRP)
overall objective is a ‘strengthened civil society
contributing to the increased realisation of human
rights, in particular sexual and reproductive health
rights, among the fishing communities of Lake
Victoria.’ It has three interrelated components:
a) Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR)
– to enhance the capacity of rights holders to
individually and collectively understand,
respect, promote and claim their SRHR;
b) Access to Justice (A2J) – to individually and
collectively advocate for human rights in
various decision-making bodies, locally,
nationally and regionally;
c) Economic Empowerment (EE) – to enhance
entrepreneurship and improve the living
standards of the fishing community.
Context
The LVRP builds on the gains of the Lake Victoria
Livelihoods Programme (LVLP) (2006-2012) with
a strategic shift from ‘livelihoods’ to ‘rights based
approach’. LVLP made significant contributions in
reducing poverty, changing attitudes of people
living with HIV and AIDS, responding to gender-
based violence and child abuse cases, empowering
women economically and raising public
awareness.
However, many challenges continue to face the
fishing communities living on or around the
shores of Lake Victoria. The poverty levels are
higher than national averages despite the robust
economic potential of the Lake Victoria basin,
public service delivery is
poor, limited or non-
existent, HIV and AIDS
prevalence and other sexually transmitted
diseases remain high, gender inequality remains
high, public participation in democratic and
decision making processes remains low with the
voices of the fishing communities being minimal
or absent in many national policies and policy-
making forums.
LVRP aims to deepen the interventions of LVLP
by responding to systemic issues through human
rights advocacy beyond the local level to the
national and regional levels. These systemic
issues are informed by the 2012 SRHR baseline
survey undertaken in Kenya (Osiri, South West
Seme, Sio Port and Mfangano Island), Tanzania
(Ukerewe Island) and Uganda (Ssesse Islands).
2013 - 2015 LVRP Advocacy Strategy
This 2013-2015 Advocacy Strategy has a special
focus on Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
(SRHR). The rights-based approach is core in
implementing this strategy which recognises that
all human rights, including SRHR, are universal,
inalienable, indivisible and interdependent.
Goal
To strengthen the voices of fishing communities
around Lake Victoria Basin at local/county,
national and regional levels to promote and
protect their human rights, with a specific focus on
sexual and reproductive health rights.
The objectives are:
(i) Policy Influencing: To influence policy and
administrative practice around the Lake Victoria
Basin.
4
“Sex
ual a
nd
Rep
rodu
ctiv
e H
ealt
h R
ight
s an
d th
e La
ke
Vic
tori
a Fi
shin
g Co
mm
unit
ies
”
Adv
ocac
y St
rate
gy
for
the
Lake
V
icto
ria
Rig
hts
Prog
ram
me
(LV
RP)
20
13-
2015
An
Ove
rvie
w
Adv
ocac
y St
rate
gy
for
the
Lake
V
icto
ria
Rig
hts
Prog
ram
me
(LV
RP)
20
13-
2015
An
Ove
rvie
w
(ii) Developing Capacity: To enhance partners’
and other stakeholders’ skills and knowledge in
policy and legislative advocacy.
(iii) Networking and Mentorship: To encourage
national and regional networking on key advocacy
issues that enhances impact.
Priority Issues
a) Sexual and reproductive health and rights:
Issue 1: Access to reproductive health services for vulnerable and marginalised groups (including comprehensive and continuous sex education for adolescents and post-abortion care)
Issue 2: Male involvement in sexual reproductive
health (men supporting their partners and
promotion of access to sexual reproductive health
for men)
Issue 3: Gender-based violence and inequality
b) Access to Justice:
Issue 4: Access to and administration of justice for
sexual reproductive health violations and
protection (including engagement with the
judiciary, security, probation, traditional elders,
administration)
c) Economic Empowerment
Issue 5: Access to credit for women’s groups
(including economic decision-making and policy)
Implementation
The implementation of the strategy will be
contextual; based on the local and national socio-
political environment and driven by the
implementing partners in Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda. Each partner will identify their key
priority areas, develop an annual work plan and
budget, and report on how their intervention
implements the strategy.
Good Partnership
Most of the partners are faith-based organisations
(FBOs). These are: The Anglican Church of
Kenya through the Anglican Development
Services Nyanza (ADS Nyanza) and Western (ADS
Western formerly WRCC), Church of Uganda
through the Planning Development and
Rehabilitation Department (CoU-PDR), Baraza
Kuu la Waisilamu wa Tanzania (BAKWATA)
and the Evangelical Lutheran Church of
Tanzania (ELCT), and the Ufadhili Trust and
Federation of Women Lawyers in Kenya (FIDA
Kenya).
Resource organisations within the East African
Community namely Kenya Community Paralegal
Association (KCPA), Foundation for Human
Rights (FHRI) in Uganda, and Women in Law
and Community (WLAC) in Tanzania continue to
enhance the paralegal approach.
Strategic partnership will be developed with the
Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA Uganda),
Tanzania Women Lawyers Association
(TAWLA), East African Health Platform
(EAHP), East African Civil Society Forum
(EACSOF), East African Community Network
(EACOMNET) and Lake Victoria Basin
Commission (LVBC).
Key Approaches
Strategy for Change: This advocacy is directly
linked to the overall objective of LVRP and
Diakonia’s Vision and Strategy for Change. This
enhances learning which begins with awareness
creation, mobilisation and organisation towards
advocacy.
Paralegal Approach: Paralegals play a critical
role in awareness creation, mobilisation,
investigation, dispute resolution, whistle blowing
and advocacy. The coordination, capacity
development and networking of paralegals
associations at national and regional levels will
enhance policy advocacy initiatives. This will
strengthen their voice, resource mobilisation,
replication and documentation of best practices.
Faith-based Approach: FBOs have legitimacy,
extensive outreach and voice. They have strategic
4
and unlimited support and goodwill among many
publics in the political, academic and religious
institutions. Their voice and ‘brand’ in SRHR is
critical and sustainable to enhance learning,
replication and resource mobilisation.
Principles of Engagement
Partnership: LVRP will continuously seek and
engage in strategic partnerships at both the
national and regional levels with institutions and
bodies that focus on the Lake Victoria Basin and
the East Africa Community as a whole.
Capacity development: Peer learning, training
and institutional building of partners to develop
knowledge, skills and systems will be continuous
and needs-based to enhance effective advocacy.
Evidence-based: Research and analysis directly
or through consultants on relevant national and
regional policies or practices will be undertaken
to inform policy interventions and positions.
Public Participation: Capacity development and
engagement of the vulnerable and marginalised
groups as rights holders and duty bearers will be
undertaken to increase their effective
participation and policy formulation.
Communication Strategy
The objective of the communication strategy will
be ‘to promote the work of LVRP with a focus on
raising the profile and visibility of the advocacy
work’.
The communication strategy will publicise
information and trends on the SRHR situation
among the fishing communities living in and
around the Lake Victoria Basin, changes resulting
from the advocacy interventions at the national
and regional level and stories of change.
This will be done through the print media (briefs,
brochures, press releases, thematic studies or
surveys), electronic media (video documentaries,
radio and TV talk shows), folk media (community
theatre, road shows, art, song and dance) and
social media (Website, Facebook, Twitter,
Youtube, SMS, Instagram). Information technology
through the use of social media will particularly
be used for information sharing, documentation,
branding, advocacy, profiling and monitoring.
LVRP has already been activated some of these
tools:
•Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/LakeVictoriaRightsPr
ogramme?ref=ts&fref=ts
•Twitter Handle: @LakeVictoriaRP
Participatory Monitoring, Evaluation,
Reflection and Learning (PMERL)
Continuous learning, documentation, monitoring
and evaluation of the advocacy process and
change is critical. The tools used include: partner
bi-annual participatory monitoring and review
(PMR) meetings, ileadership advocacy forums to
identify and share lessons learnt and best
practices, documenting and isharing of stories of
change and highlight stories, peer exchange
learning and evaluations. Case studies will be
documented through video and the Most
Significant Change (MSc) Approach will be utilised
to develop case studies that show change.
Table: General Overview of the Key Advocacy Actions, Tactics and Audiences.
Key Actions Advocacy Tactics Target AudienceIssue 1: Access to reproductive health for vulnerable and marginalized groups (including comprehensive and continuous sex education for adolescents and post-abortion care) Create awareness on barriers to rights
holders’ access SRHR, how and from Research or surveys Statistics
Ministries of Health, Water, Sanitation, Gender, Children
4
Key Actions Advocacy Tactics Target Audiencewhom they can claim these rights
Build capacities of duty bearers to promote and protect SRHR
Mobilise demand for increasing health facilities that offer SRH services, number of relevant staff, better supply of equipment and SRH materials, reliable transport and outreach services and affirmative action on user fees for SRH.
Contribute to analysis of budget, budgeting and planning processes to ensure accountability and inclusion of specific allocations for SRH services in target areas
Advocate for policy change/ review/ enactment on SRHR issues
Lobby for review of government and church policy on sex education for adolescent boys and girls
Network with other institutions (FBO/PBOs/INGOs) promoting SRHR
Involve church leadership in advocacy to increase visibility of advocacy issues
Increase accountability and transparency among relevant authorities at political level, in the health and private sectors
Promote greater involvement of non-state actors in policy discussions within regional institutions such as the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) and East African Community (EAC).
Lobby for the review and prioritisation by EALA on the draft protocols/bills on gender, human rights and governance (with focus on SRHR)
Policy analysis Briefs and memorandums Lobbying Community mobilisation Meetings with relevant
policy stakeholders at local/county, national and regional level
Participation in relevant and strategic events e.g. national regional celebrations i.e. World Aids Day, national, regional and EAC conferences and policy forums
Development of Behaviour Change and Communication materials
(including cabinet secretaries, ministers and health officers)
Ministry of East Africa Community ( including minister and cabinet secretaries)
Members of Parliament Members of Senate Members of County Assemblies Representatives of local
councils/county administrations of health facility committees (at village, district, county)
Religious leadership Community and traditional
elders East African Community
(including the East Africa Legislative Assembly and the Lake Victoria Basin Commission)
Community members Paralegals Public schools
Issue 2: Male involvement in Sexual Reproductive health (SRH) Educate rights holders and duty bearers
on the significance of male reproductive health
Mobilise support to introduce ‘male friendly RH facilities’ that provide related services and special spaces for both genders
Build capacities of health service providers on issues of male reproductive health to address negative attitudes and misconceptions
Awareness raising (e.g. using music, dance and drama)
Mobilising support groups for introduction of male SRH services
Establishment of gender friendly facilities
Development of Behaviour Change and Communication materials
Communities Public schools Traditional elders Local authorities/ County
governments Health facilities and committees Health directors (including
health facility staff and other service providers)
Issue 3: Gender-based violence (GBV) and inequality
4
Key Actions Advocacy Tactics Target Audience Engage custodians of culture to address
retrogressive cultures that entrench gender-inequality and lead to GBV
Lobby for the enactment/review of legal aid and awareness guidelines, policy and/or bill
Lobby for review of administrative and legal fees related to GBV cases
Lobby for participation of traditional and religious leaders and paralegals in the Court User Committees to enhance the administration of GBV cases
Lobby for review of government policy, laws on marriages, GBV, etc
Awareness raising (music, dance, drama)
Legal aid clinics Public/chiefs barazas,
meetings Letters to relevant
authorities Translation of or brief
highlights on specific clauses of laws into local languages
Collaborations with other organisations
Recording and publishing stories of change
Development of Behaviour Change and Communication materials
Ministries of Justice and Constitutional Affairs
Members of Parliament/County Assembly/Senate
Local/County administrators Traditional elders Magistrates and judges Security and/or police Legal aid agencies Women focused agencies Health Committees Paralegals and paralegal
associations/networks Law Societies of Kenya, Uganda
and Tanzania East African Community Media Community Public Schools
Issue 4: Access to justice for SRH violations and protection Lobby to enhance access to justice
through legal aid centres, establishment of mobile courts, justice boats, increase of law enforcement personnel on Islands ( police, children and probation officers)
Strengthen capacities of paralegals in litigation, investigation, evidence preservation, alternative dispute resolution, human rights monitoring and reporting
Ensure community representation and participation in local judicial, security and administrative committees (Local District Council, court user committees, probation case committees, community policing committees, anti corruption committees)
Lobby for formation and strengthening of county, national and regional paralegal networks with linkage to the EAC
Lobby for prioritisation and enactment of pre-detention guidelines
Enhance the administration of justice through open days, marches, public forums and meetings with the judiciary, national police, children and probation
Engage in public interest litigation on access to health services
Lobbying Meetings with relevant
stakeholders Letters to policy makers Policy reviews,
memorandums and briefs Networking with like-
minded PBOs, Participation in relevant
policy forums and workshops
Development of Behaviour Change and Communication materials
Ministry of Justice, Judiciary (especially the Chief Justice)
Agencies providing legal aid, paralegals, national and regional paralegal networks, magistrates, police, local courts, Law Society of Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, East Africa Law Society
East African Community.
Issue 5: Access to credit for women’s groups
4
Key Actions Advocacy Tactics Target Audience Engage with the local/district council,
county and national governments on targeted funds for women and youth
Enhance cooperation with private sector (e.g. micro-finance institutions) to increase access to capital
Lobby micro-finance to support income generation plans and market access especially in the islands
Support women’s participation in income generating groups towards strengthening their entrepreneur skills and possibilities of accessing capital and markets
Lobbying with strategic economic institutions
Promotion of public and private engagement
Meetings and networking with relevant micro finance authorities
Negotiation with micro-finance institutions
Micro-finance institutions and banks (e.g. FAULU, etc)
Women representatives in the National, East African, Count and Senate Assemblies, Senate and counties
Ministries managing special funds for women and youth
Private sector in East Africa and Europe
Academia in Kenya and Europe East African institutions
4