Reviews of Evidence and Tools in Support of Rights-Based Family Planning Framework Now Available

EngenderHealth and Futures Group recently published a new framework, Voluntary Family Planning Programs that Respect, Protect, and Fulfill Human Rights: A Conceptual Framework, which offers a holistic approach to realizing human rights as a part of voluntary, high-quality family planning (FP) services. The framework’s linkage of FP and human rights was informed and supported by systematic reviews of supporting evidence and available tools. The results of these reviews are now available in two companion papers:

•  Voluntary Family Planning Programs that Respect, Protect, and Fulfill Human Rights: A Systematic Review of Evidencesynthesizes the findings from a literature review of more than 290 relevant interventions, evaluations, and case studies,to engender a better understanding of the elements of a successful rights-based FP program. The report reviews the current evidence for rights-based FP and identifies practices that protect and fulfill the rights of clients and prospective FP users to achieve desired reproductive intentions.
• Voluntary Family Planning Programs that Respect, Protect, and Fulfill Human Rights: A Systematic Review of Toolspresents an extensive examination of 150 training and assessment tools, frameworks, methodologies, implementation guides, and job aids that support and promote the fulfillment of rights at the policy, service, community, and individual levels. Links to all of the tools reviewed are provided, to allow policymakers, program planners, and managers to access resources that will enable them to assess, design, implement, monitor, and evaluate rights-based FP programs.

These auxiliary papers identify key gaps in rights-based FP research, evidence, and available resources, including the need for tools that explicitly address empowering clients and protecting their rights. As rights-based FP continues to be defined and advanced by the FP2020’s Rights & Empowerment Working Group and other bodies, additional work is needed to articulate how rights can be fully integrated in the assessment, design, implementation, and monitoring of FP programs. These reviews can guide the development of a research agenda and new tools.

Join the conversation on rights-based family planning on the Champions4Choice blog.

Learn more about the right-based family planning framework.