Sexual and Reproductive Rights Programme

The Sexual and Reproductive Rights Programme seeks to support research, networking and activism which prioritizes sexual and reproductive rights. The programme also strives to strengthen young women’s leadership in sexual and reproductive rights work, to address issues of violence against women, to work with LGBTIQ writers and activists on the continent, and to develop theoretical frameworks which can drive new approaches to understanding and implementing sexual and reproductive rights contextually.

Programme Convenor:

The Convenor for the Sexual and Reproductive Rights Programme is Associate Professor Jane Bennett. Jane Bennett has disciplinary backgrounds in literature, linguistics, sociology and feminist theory, and has worked at the State University of New York, Barnard College, and since 1999, within the University of Cape Town. Her research interests are in feminist theory, sexualities, pedagogies and violence and she has published many articles and book chapters in these areas. She is also interested in research which is allied to political activism, in different areas, within and beyond university spaces within the African continent. She writes both fiction and non-fiction. She works regularly with colleagues at the University of Buenos Aires, Makerere University, the University of Ghana, the University of California (Davis) and the Human Sciences Research Council. She also works with a number of NGOs across Southern and Eastern Africa. In the African Gender Institute, she is responsible for teaching undergraduate and postgraduate courses, postgraduate supervision, research development and networking, research and publication, and the convenorship of core programmes in the School of African and Gender Studies, Anthropology and Linguistics.
Contact Details:
Tel: (+27) 21 650-4203
Email: jane.bennett@uct.ac.za

Marion Stevens (Associate at the African Gender Institute)

READ INTERVIEW WITH MARION STEVENS

Marion Stevens has a background as a midwife, in medical anthropology and in public and development. She has worked in the area of sexual and reproductive health and HIV/AIDS for some 20 years. She is currently the coordinator of WISH Associates (Women in Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health) a network of nine South African consultant activists.

In the past few years her work has involved a range of high level activities including the responsibility of developing two South African policies. She developed the Learner Pregnancy strategy for the Department of Basic Education and the Adolescent Health policy for the Department of Health. Both these processes involved the engagement and participation of a range of stakeholders. She is also currently on the National Department of Health task teams for the development of the revised contraception guidelines and the new Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights implementation Strategy framework. She also recently developed a training manual for health workers in relation to sexual orientation and gender identities. She has just completed leading an evaluation process internationally in reviewing the work of the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights currently located in the Philippines’. Marion is also well networked into local South African civil society groups. Content areas:HIV and AIDS, sexual and reproductive health and rights, women’s health, key populations, diversity and gender, health systems and human resources. Capacity and skills: Project management, advocacy & networking, facilitation & teaching, organisational development, report writing, proposal writing & fundraising, qualitative & quantitative research, strategy, policy analysis and development, monitoring and evaluation, and business analysis.