Madagascar Passes Landmark Reproductive Health and Family Planning Law
On December 12, 2017, the Senate of Madagascar passed a landmark reproductive health and family planning law that marked the final step in the law's adoption, following approval by the Council of Government, the Council of Ministers, and the National Assembly earlier in the year. The president's promulgation of the new law will be a tremendous step forward toward rights-based reproductive health services in Madagascar, which until recently operated under a 1920s French colonial framework that prohibited distribution of contraception to youth or married women without spousal consent. HP+ was integral to this win, providing technical and financial support to revise the law and advocate to decision-makers at each step of the approval process. HP+ Madagascar will continue to support the new family planning law by mobilizing family planning resources; supporting the development of application decrees; and monitoring the progress of actions that contribute to an enabling legal environment.
