Do reproductive rights matter in post-revolution Egypt?

Reproductive rights embrace human rights that rest on the recognition of the right of all couples to decide, freely and responsibly, the number, spacing, and timing of their children; to have the information and means to do so; and the right to attain the highest standard of reproductive and sexual health. It also includes their right to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion, and violence. This study, which was conducted by the Population Council, with support from the World Bank, is comprised of a rights-based, gender-sensitive assessment of family planning services in Egypt. Situation analysis (SA) was conducted in 40 public facilities in four governorates in Upper and Lower Egypt. SA involved structured interviews with service providers (n=216), Inventory of FP equipment and supplies (n=40), client exit interviews (n=481) and In-depth interviews (IDIs) with policy makers / program managers (n=20). The study showed that services were largely accessible to married clients at an affordable price. However, several gaps were noted with regard to protection of client’s rights to autonomy, choice, informed decision making, privacy and confidentiality. The above findings highlight the need for rights based training of service providers and raising clients’ awareness of their reproductive rights.