Final Evaluation: DeSeAr Project (Sexual Rights in Argentina) with Inclusion: Promoting Access to Sexual and Reproductive Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Argentina

Location: Argentina 

Grantee: FUSA para la salud integral con perspectiva de genero y derechos asociación civil 

Grant period: 1 September 2018 – 31 August 2021 

Grant amount: USD 478,925 

Authors/editors: Marianela Provenza; Anahí Pissinis; Liliana Coca 

Publication year: 2022 

FUSA para la salud integral con perspectiva de genero y derechos asociación civil (Civil Association for Integral Health with a Rights Perspective), implemented the three-year project “DeSeAr Project (Sexual Rights in Argentina) with Inclusion: Promoting Access to Sexual and Reproductive Rights for Women and Girls with Disabilities in Argentina” across the Northwest, Northeast, Central and Buenos Aires regions with the support of the UN Trust Fund to End Violence against Women from 2018 to 2021. The goal was to: 

• promote the sexual and reproductive health (SRH) rights of women and girls with disabilities by adopting the social model of disability to ensure equal access to SRH services; and 
• engage with women and girls with disabilities, along with key actors such as health personnel, state authorities, and civil society and feminist activists, to improve the provision of disability-inclusive SRH services. 

The final evaluation found that key service providers, including health personnel, community referents and social workers, had improved ability to provide disability-inclusive, rights-based SRH information and services. The project also ensured informed consent was incorporated into health services and legal reform, eliminating the forced sterilization of women and girls with disabilities.  

Main findings of the evaluation: 

• 83 women and girls with disabilities participated in safe spaces where they shared their experiences of discrimination and contributed to the capacity development training materials for service providers.  
• Over 750,000 people were reached through social media campaigns and over 1 million through slots on radio and television. 
• The project influenced positive modification of Articles 2 and 3 of Law 26.130 on Surgical Contraception, which had allowed judges to authorize sterilization of women with disabilities who lacked legal capacity. 
• 473 health personnel had strengthened capacity to adopt a human rights-based approach to their service delivery and provide gender- and disability-inclusive information, goods and SRH services.