In many parts of Africa today, the fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights is no longer confined to policy debates or courtrooms. For many activists, healthcare workers, and women human rights defenders, it has become a daily struggle for survival, dignity, and freedom of expression.

That reality came sharply into focus during Panel 7 of the NGOs Forum, themed “Defending Rights in Hostile Contexts: Attacks on Human Rights Actors Advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in the Context of Shrinking Civic Space and Gender Backlash.” Moderated by Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, the session brought together advocates from across the continent to share experiences of intimidation, criminalization, and resistance.

Organized by the African Centre for Democracy and Human Rights Studies (ACDHRS), the Forum was held from 7th to 9th May, 2026 at the Sir Dawda Kairaba Jawara Conference Centre in Bijilo.

From the outset, Commissioner Sallah-Njie steered the conversation away from abstract legal theory and toward the lived realities behind restrictive reproductive health laws. Speaking candidly, she challenged participants to consider the human cost of rigid moral and religious positions.

“The question I always ask people is: what if it is your child? Your child is raped. What if your child’s life is at risk? Do you leave the mother to die just because of your faith?” she asked.

Her remarks exposed the deeply personal realities hidden beneath political rhetoric around abortion and reproductive healthcare. She also reminded participants that many of the laws criminalizing abortion across Africa are rooted not in African tradition, but in colonial legal systems-imposed decades ago.

“Most of the laws that we have today that criminalize are actually not from us. They are actually from our colonizers,” she said.

Beyond legal reform, Commissioner Sallah-Njie emphasized the importance of direct political engagement, urging activists to work closely with lawmakers capable of changing legislation.
“If you don’t lobby parliamentarians, who will you lobby? Laws are passed in parliament.”

The dangers facing reproductive health advocates became even clearer through the testimony of Nelly Munyasia, Executive Director of the Reproductive Health Network Kenya. Munyasia described a hostile environment in which healthcare providers are arrested simply for offering reproductive health services, including abortion and post-abortion care.

“The RHNK provider was arrested with the 17-year-old. And this is what happens every day,” she revealed.

For Munyasia, the consequences of misinformation and anti-rights campaigns are devastating and immediate.

“Women and girls are dying every day because of unsafe abortion,” she warned.

According to her, anti-rights groups intentionally weaponize fear and disinformation to isolate healthcare providers and discourage women from seeking lifesaving services.

“They are using abortion to cause disinformation and instil fear not only to healthcare providers, but also to the women and girls that need these services.”

Yet amid the hostility, Munyasia spoke of resilience and adaptation. She explained that reproductive rights organizations are increasingly moving away from reactive advocacy toward coalition-building that includes researchers, parliamentarians, faith leaders, and grassroots communities.

“We have learned that we cannot keep being reactive. We need an ecosystem approach,” she said.

The discussion also explored the gendered nature of attacks against women human rights defenders. Jessica Oga detailed how women advocating for sexual and reproductive health rights often face coordinated attempts to silence them through legal harassment, emotional intimidation, and funding restrictions.

“Their goal is not necessarily to win. Their goal is to exhaust you,” Dr. Oga explained.

She criticized growing restrictions on comprehensive sexuality education, arguing that young girls are being denied both information and healthcare at the same time.

“You say girls are not supposed to access abortion care, then you also say they should not be taught sexuality. So what are they supposed to do?” she asked.

Dr. Oga further highlighted the widening gap between legal protections on paper and the realities experienced by women and girls, particularly those living in conflict zones or displacement settings.

“We have beautiful laws, but the lived realities of people remain disconnected from those laws.”

From The Gambia, women’s rights activist Halimatou Dibba reflected on the fierce backlash surrounding debates on the Women’s Amendment Act and the attempted reversal of the ban on Female Genital Mutilation. She recounted how women human rights defenders became targets of public attacks during parliamentary discussions.

“The backlash came not only from lawmakers, but also from religious leaders and public figures,” she said.

Dibba warned that silence from state institutions in the face of inflammatory rhetoric undermines existing legal protections and emboldens those promoting harmful practices.

Additional interventions from across the continent further illustrated the growing pressure facing civil society actors. Geoffrey Oguaro warned about increasing restrictions on funding and tightening controls on civil society organizations in Uganda and beyond, noting that shrinking civic space continues to weaken advocacy efforts and limit support systems for vulnerable communities.

Throughout the session, speakers repeatedly returned to the need for solidarity across movements and borders. They stressed the importance of evidence-based advocacy, proactive community engagement, direct dialogue with lawmakers, and stronger protection mechanisms for women human rights defenders facing harassment and intimidation.

By the close of the panel, one message had become unmistakably clear: across Africa, defending sexual and reproductive health and rights increasingly means defending civic space itself. For the activists, healthcare providers, journalists, and advocates gathered at the Forum, the struggle is no longer only about changing laws. It is about protecting the right to speak, organize, and advocate in societies where backlash against gender equality continues to intensify.

Author: Halimatou Ceesay