Millions of women and girls across Africa continue to face barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health services. Yet, each context is different and this is why Oxfam must adapt the response to these realities very differently from one country to another.  

The experiences of Niger, Kenya, and Senegal provide useful illustrations of how context shapes advocacy approaches. These three countries, operate in very different environments and have generated impacts shaped by the specific nature of the struggles they are addressing. 

In Niger, the team focuses on menstrual hygiene which includes the distribution of sanitary kits and training for girls and women. However, given the current political climate, they must align closely with state priorities to ensure program continuity, sometimes adopting a more discreet advocacy posture. 

In Kenya, the team concentrates on access to sexual health services and on combating abuse faced by women, particularly in the tea production sector. Despite significant budget constraints, they have successfully mobilized civil society, established strategic local partnerships, and prevented alleged perpetrators of abuse from occupying high-level positions, among other concrete actions. 

In Senegal, advocacy efforts carried out in collaboration with civil society organizations contributed to the revision of medical laws related to abortion. The revised provisions were translated into more than 35 local languages to ensure meaningful inclusion. Additionally, three reception and care centers for survivors of sexual violence were opened, one of which is now fully operational. 

These experiences demonstrate that regional advocacy does not mean uniformity, but rather strategic coordination. In diverse and sometimes complex environments, pooling expertise strengthens impact, influences public policy, and supports country teams in advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) across Africa. 

If Oxfam’s response on SRHR is different from one country to another, how can regional gender advocacy can be shaped to add value to the work done in each country and to promote change?  

Oxfam’s country gender teams met from January 28–29 in Dakar, Senegal, to reflect on gender advocacy strategies and strengthen their regional approach. 

Organized by Oxfam in Africa, in collaboration with Oxfam Senegal, the two-day meeting brought together more than twenty colleagues representing gender teams from Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Senegal, and Chad, as well as  partners of Oxfam Senegal. 

The workshop aimed to collectively validate key findings from country experiences, test interpretations and develop actionable recommendations to strengthen future advocacy strategies. It also sought to enhance collaboration among country offices, pool expertise, and rethink the deployment model of gender programs—particularly by promoting multi-country initiatives on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) across the continent. 

Multi-country programming necessarily requires regional-level advocacy—one that takes into account the distinct political and economic realities of each national context. 

By bringing together country experiences and lessons learned, Oxfam in Africa is strengthening a collective approach that amplifies local voices while influencing regional and global policy spaces. In doing so, Oxfam aims to ensure that advocacy efforts remain grounded in the lived realities of women and girls while contributing to systemic change.