Sensoa International
  • Home
  • Wat we doen
  • Partners
  • Parlementaire groep
  • Nieuws
  • Page d'accueil
  • Ce que nous faisons
  • Partenaires
  • Groupe parlementaire
  • Actualité
  • Homepage
  • What we do
  • Our partners
  • All-party parliamentary group
  • News
  • Home
  • Wat we doen
  • Partners
  • Parlementaire groep
  • Nieuws
  • Page d'accueil
  • Ce que nous faisons
  • Partenaires
  • Groupe parlementaire
  • Actualité
  • Homepage
  • What we do
  • Our partners
  • All-party parliamentary group
  • News

Flemish government commits to tackle sexual and gender based violence and promote SRHR

30/10/2019

 
In the Flemish government agreement for 2019-2023, the government is committed to combating sexual and gender based violence, with particular attention for the prevention of forced marriages, honour-related crimes and female genital mutilation. Sexual health should equally receive the needed attention. In Flanders’ international cooperation the government is also quoted as being committed to projects that improve equality between the sexes, with a special focus on women’s education and the promotion of SRHR.

The promise of 0.7%
The new Flemish government will contribute to the realisation of the SDG Agenda 2030 in developing countries. Belgium currently spends only 0.4% of its GNI on development cooperation, despite the legal obligation of 0.7%. In the coming legislature, the Flemish government promises to make further efforts to finally reach the 0.7% standard at Belgian level.

Flanders' bilateral cooperation plans
The Flemish government is to continue its bilateral cooperation with Malawi and Mozambique, whereas cooperation with South Africa will be reoriented from development to “strong political-economic diplomatic cooperation”. The new Flemish Prime Minister Jambon also expressed the intention to set up a new cooperation with one or more countries in the North and East Africa region. The future partner country is said to be selected based on  its current cooperation with the EU in the fight against human trafficking and illegal migration. The new government is thus joining the trend of using development cooperation funds for the management of migration flows.

Should we be counting on the private sector?
In addition, the new government is looking at the private sector to step in with development cooperation through public-private partnerships. Public funds are only deemed needed where private partners cannot bear the risk (alone), or when they fail to deliver a suitable solution. The call for private sector support for development should not come at the cost of social sectors, including SRHR, as these are traditionally dependent on ODA support. Mechanisms seeking to mobilise private sector resources are primarily focused on non-social sectors such as infrastructural projects. Moving away from traditional ODA support and towards private sector mechanisms thus brings a real risk of reducing donor investments in sectors such as health, education and SRHR.

​Finally, the government sets out to move part of the development cooperation resources towards more Flemish emergency aid. Increasing support for humanitarian aid is welcome, but it should not come at the cost of development cooperation, which could help prevent disasters from happening in the first place. 

Belgian PM Charles Michel new European Council president

8/7/2019

 
The European Council elected Belgian prime minister Charles Michel as President of the European Council. The president presides over and drives forward the work of the European Council and is the European Union’s principal representative on the world stage. He is elected for the period from 1 December 2019 until 31 May 2022. But who is Charles Michel and what is his track record on SRHR and gender equality?

Read More

“No more time for dry-runs” NGOs critical of Belgium’s uptake of the Sustainable Development Agenda

9/4/2019

 
Picture
To date, no fundamental change in governance has been seen, Perspective 2030, the Belgian coalition of NGOs monitoring the realisation of the 2030 Agenda of which Sensoa is a member, stated. The coalition published a critical report that took stock of Belgium’s efforts since signing on to the Agenda in 2015. 


Read More

Relatively less Belgian development aid for reproductive health

20/11/2017

 
The federal development aid for health and reproductive health increased from €141 million in 2015 to €146 million in 2016. The support is still well below the level of 2014 though. €164 million was spent on these sectors in 2014. The total expenditure of the Directorate-General for Development (DGD) increased with 11.8% in 2016. This means the federal government is investing relatively less in development aid for health and reproductive health because the proportion of aid dedicated to these sectors decreased from 14% in 2015 to 12.7% in 2016. Sensoa discussed these results in an analysis of the federal development aid for health and reproductive health. 

Read More

Belgian MPs play game of ‘snakes and ladders’ on girls’ lack of opportunities

12/5/2017

 
Picture
Belgian MPs learn about the challenges for girls' health and rights playing Snakes & Ladders. Copyright: De Kamer
Thursday May 11th, Federal Parliament, Belgium. MPs played ‘snakes and ladders’, a life-size game on the health and rights of girls worldwide. The MPs were the pawns in the game and found themselves confronted with the obstacles girls in developing countries face. 

There are about 1 billion girls in the world, many of which face discrimination and inequalities. Each year 16 million girls between 15 and 19 give birth. Complications related to pregnancies and delivery are the 2nd most important cause of death for girls in that age group. Every year 3 million girls run the risk of mutilation and every day 39,000 girls are subject to child or forced marriage. 

The Parliamentarians for the 2030 Agenda want girls’ health and rights to be high on the political agenda. They call upon the Belgian development cooperation to continue focusing on this particular group. 
Picture
Parliamentarians for the 2030 Agenda want girls' rights high on the political agenda. Copyright: De Kamer.

She Decides visit to Benin and Senegal by Deputy Prime Minister

4/5/2017

 
PictureAxelle Red, Deputy Prime Minister De Croo and Goede Liekens. Copyright: Goele Geeraert
As part of the She Decides-Initiative, Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, Alexander De Croo visited Benin and Senegal, partner countries of the Belgian Development Cooperation. In Benin, the Minister signed two programmes promoting sexual and reproductive health and rights.


Read More

Increased Belgian support to UNFPA and IPPF

4/5/2017

 
PictureGirl in Benin. Copyright: Goele Geeraert
During a She Decides visit to Benin and Senegal, the Belgian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Development Cooperation, Alexander De Croo announced an increase of his support to the UNFPA and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF). 


Read More

E-tutorial Body & Rights launched by Belgian Deputy Prime Minister

7/3/2017

 
PictureMinister De Croo receives Body&Rights certificate. Copyright: Sensoa
On the eve of the international conference She Decides in Brussels, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Development Cooperation Alexander De Croo launched Body & Rights, a bilingual (French/Dutch) website with an e-tutorial on sexual and reproductive health and rights. 


Read More

‘She Decides’ Conference raises €181 million 

7/3/2017

 
Picture
She Decides Conference - Copyright: Cynthia Vertessen
Representatives of almost 50 governments from all continents and hundreds of parliamentarians, international organisations and civil society participants gathered in Brussels to express their support for women’s rights during the She Decides conference. The Conference raised a total of €181 million for the ‘She Decides’ Global Fundraising Initiative that seeks to fill the funding gap for sexual and reproductive health and rights created by the Global Gag Rule. The Conference was co-organised by Alexander De Croo and his Dutch, Swedish and Danish colleagues. 

Read More

'She Decides' parliamentary pre-meeting unites experts to bridge GGR funding gap

7/3/2017

 
PictureMinister Alexander De Croo and Minister Liliane Ploumen at the pre-meeting. Copyright: Cynthia Vertessen
Ahead of the high level She Decides conference of March 2nd in Brussels, Belgium’s All-Party Parliamentary Group ‘Parliamentarians for the 2030 Agenda’ called a parliamentary pre-meeting in the federal parliament. The implications of the Global Gag Rule (GGR), the rise of anti-choice movements and the question how to counter the effects of the GGR were on the agenda.


Read More
<<Previous

    Archive

    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016

    Categories

    All
    2030 Agenda
    Abortion
    Adolescents
    Afri
    Africa
    AIDS2018
    Alexander De Croo
    Amnesty Chair
    Amnesty International
    Antichoice
    Award
    Be Cause Health
    Be-cause Health
    Belgian Development Cooperation
    Belgiu
    Belgium
    Child Marriage
    Climate Change
    Comprehensive Sexuality Education
    Contraceptives
    Council Of Europe
    Countdown2030Europe
    CPD
    CSE
    CSW
    Development Cooperation
    Discrimination
    Diversity
    Early Marriages
    EDCTP
    EDD
    Educaid
    Education
    Enabel
    EPF
    Equality
    E Tutorial Body&rights
    E-tutorial Body&rights
    European Development Days
    Event
    Family Planning
    Feminism
    Fistula
    Flag System
    FP2020
    FP2020 Summit
    Funding Gap
    Gender Action Plan
    Genderbased Violence
    Gender Equality
    Gender Norms
    Girls And Women
    Global Gag Rule
    HIV/AIDS
    Hiv Prevention
    Hiv Treatment
    Hiv Vaccine
    Humanitarian Crises
    Human Rights
    ICPD
    IPPF
    Key Populations
    LGBTI
    LSHTM
    Marleen Temmerman
    Maternal Health
    Maternal Morbidity
    Maternal Mortality
    Mexico City Policy
    Migration
    Minister De Croo
    Mozambique
    ODA
    Opposition
    Parliamentarians For The 2030 Agenda
    Parliamentary Delegation
    Perspective 2030
    Peter Piot
    Policy Note
    Population Growth
    Report
    Reproductive Rights
    Resolution
    RMNCH
    Rutgers
    SDG3
    SDG5
    SDGs
    Sensoa
    Sensoa Flagsystem
    Sexual And Reproductive Health And Rights
    Sexual Health
    Sexuality
    Sexual Rights
    Sexual Violence
    SGBV
    She Decdes
    She Decides
    SRHR
    Stigma
    Sustainable Development
    SWOP
    Teenage Pregnancies
    The Philippines
    Trump
    UHC
    UNAIDS
    UNESCO
    UNFPA
    UNICEF
    UNWOMEN
    Urbanization
    Voluntary National Review
    WAS 2017
    WHO
    Women And Girls
    Women's Rights
    Worlds AIDS Day
    Young People
    Youth
    Zanzu

    RSS Feed