Women's health and human rights: Converging avenues for action in east Africa

Abstract

Describing a long-term community-based action research project on improving health conditions for displaced persons in Rwanda and South Sudan, this practice note discusses human rights as a framework for improving people's health. In the course of researching women's health concerns, researchers learned that human rights violations were a major root cause of poor health among many displaced persons, and especially for women. Partnering with an international non-governmental organization (NGO), the American Refugee Committee, Congolese refugees in Rwanda, and returnees in South Sudan, researchers first explored local perceptions of human rights. Findings were presented to community members and incorporated into a culturally-nuanced health and human rights training programme. We offer lessons learned when working with community members and international partners to develop this community-based educational project on human rights. Primarily, we argue that human rights are intricately related to women's health. We also suggest that human rights messages are best conceptualized with local concepts and best spoken by trusted community members such as community health workers. Human rights are conceptualized across cultural differences as an ongoing struggle for respect and fair treatment. Women's experiences of human rights violations most often occur in the context of everyday life and lead to poor outcomes in women's health. A rights-based framework could assist practitioners and organizations that aim to promote women's health, development, and well-being.