Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters Podcast

In this episode of the SRHM Podcast, Eszter Kismődi is joined by Sarah Malaba, Co-CEO of Tiko, to explore how smarter, more equitable health financing can transform the lives of adolescent girls across Sub-Saharan Africa, and why this is fundamentally a question of economic justice.

At the centre of the discussion is the “triple threat” of unintended pregnancy, new HIV infections, and sexual violence, three interconnected challenges that not only shape health outcomes but also systematically limit girls’ educational attainment, economic participation and future earning potential. When these risks go unaddressed, they reinforce cycles of poverty and inequality, undermining both individual rights and broader economic development.

Drawing on insights from recent global and regional convenings, including the World Health Summit and the RHNK conference, the episode calls for a shift away from high-level commitments towards practical, adequately funded, girl-centred solutions. It highlights the urgent need for governments to move beyond donor dependency and prioritise domestic investment in adolescent girls as a distinct and critical population.

The conversation unpacks the concept of the “girl dividend”, emphasising that it cannot be realised without redistributive policies, sustained public investment, and accountability for delivering integrated, stigma-free services. Investing in girls is not only about improving health outcomes, it is about enabling girls to stay in school, access decent work, exercise bodily autonomy, and participate fully in economic and social life.

With a strong emphasis on youth participation, real-time data, and multi-sectoral approaches, this episode offers a clear call to action: to centre adolescent girls in policy design and financing decisions, and to recognise that achieving sexual and reproductive health and rights is inseparable from advancing economic justice.

A recent Court of Appeal decision in Kenya has generated concern among healthcare providers, reproductive justice advocates and human rights movements in Kenya and beyond. The ruling overturned elements of a landmark High Court decision and reinstated criminal proceedings involving a young woman and a healthcare provider after emergency post-abortion care was sought.

In this episode of the SRHM Podcast, Eszter Kismodi is joined by Martin Onyango, Associate Director for Legal Strategies at the Center for Reproductive Rights; Ruth Mumbi, Human Rights Defender and Executive Director of Women Collective Kenya; and Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of Reproductive Health Network Kenya.

Together they unpack the legal, public health and human rights dimensions of the ruling and discuss:
What the Court of Appeal decided and why it matters
The distinction between abortion and post-abortion care under Kenyan law
How legal uncertainty and criminalization affect healthcare provision
The disproportionate impact on women and girls in marginalized communities
The role of misinformation, stigma and anti-rights narratives
Legal and movement strategies as advocates prepare for a Supreme Court appeal

The conversation also places the case in a wider global context, exploring ongoing struggles around sexual and reproductive justice, bodily autonomy and access to rights-based healthcare.

A SRHM Podcast conversation with Lizzie Kiama and Tara Mukeku-Cilolo for World Menstrual Health Day.

Disability rights advocate Lizzie Kiama of This Ability Trust Kenya and Tara Mukeku-Cilolo of Fòs Feminista joined Eszter Kismodi of SRHM for a special podcast exploring how menstrual health intersects with inequality, disability justice, public policy, and community care.

In partnership with the University of the Western Cape School of Public Health, SRHM is excited to launch a call for proposals for a themed issue on Queering Health Systems.

Shaped by a dynamic online consultation with organisations and experts across the field, this issue aims to spark bold, critical conversations and fresh perspectives on health policies and systems.

In this episode, we connect directly with the editorial team and Guest Editors and get everything you need to submit with confidence.

Whether you are an experienced researcher, practitioner, or emerging voice, this is your chance to contribute to a timely and important conversation.

Read the full call for proposals here

In this episode, Laura Ferguson is joined by Angela Baschieri and Martina Yopo Diaz to discuss the critical links between climate change and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

From disrupted reproductive healthcare and climate-related displacement to eco-anxiety and changing fertility decisions, the conversation highlights how the climate crisis is deeply affecting reproductive lives worldwide.

The episode also explores gaps in global policy frameworks, the unfinished agenda of the ICPD Programme of Action, and why equity, human rights, and meaningful participation must remain at the centre of climate action.

A thoughtful discussion on justice, sustainability, and the future of reproductive rights in a changing world.

Read From conception to care: a systematic review of the impact of the climate crisis on reproductive justiceby Martina Yopo Díaz, Valentina Gómez Aguirre and Loreto Watkins, published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters

Read International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action and climate action: an intersecting agenda by Angela Baschieri and Chiagozie Udeh, published in Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters