Reproductive rights advocacy: Concentration of effort, dilution of intention

Pascale Allotey and Daniel D. Reidpath discuss the issue of female genital cutting and obstetric fistulae within the context of reproductive rights advocacy. They use these examples to discuss the potential effects on the broader reproductive rights agenda of interventions that focus narrowly on what is often a symptom of unaddressed structural violence. They argue for a broader rights approach rather than simply focusing on ameliorating the specific harm, in order to focus on the more fundamental goal, that is, the promotion of the positive freedoms. © 2005 Society for International Development.