Young people's views on religious fundamentalism, ethno-nationalism and SRHR: an SRHM South Asia virtual roundtable discussion.

In South Asia, social identity and location have always been important determinants of the opportunities available or denied to people and of their relationship to the State. They are also closely linked to the social norms that govern young people's lives. In recent times, religious and identity-centric fundamentalism and ethno-nationalism has gained extraordinary importance in the South Asian sub-continent, and this has implications for young people's SRHR. This roundtable article is based on a virtual discussion organised by SRHM to explore, from the perspectives of young people from five countries in South Asia, how a young person's identity and social location affect their SRHR. The discussion threw light on the ways in which conservative religious norms, nationalist discourse, and discriminatory legislation have constrained young people's choices, their access to health care services and their overall sexual and reproductive wellbeing. It also discussed, with critical reflection, the efforts that are being made by young people's collectives to bring about positive change. With respect to implications for practice in the SRHR domain, the discussion highlights the significance of understanding and acting on the interlinkages between political, social and cultural contexts with sexual and reproductive health while addressing the concerns of young people.

Axes of alienation: applying an intersectional lens on the social contract during the pandemic response to protect sexual and reproductive rights and health.

While economic inequalities have been a key focus of attention through the COVID 19 pandemic, gendered relations of power at every level have undermined health rights of women, girls and gender diverse individuals. Sexual and reproductive health rights (SRHR) have always been sites of power contestations within families, societies, cultures, and politics; these struggles are exacerbated by economic, racial, religious, caste, citizenship status, and other social inequities, especially in times of crisis such as these. Policy responses to the COVID pandemic such as lockdown, quarantine, contact tracing and similar measures are premised on the existence of a social contract between the government and the people and among people, with the health sector playing a key role in preventive and curative care.We propose the use of an intersectional lens to explore the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the social contract, drawing on our field experiences from different continents particularly as related to SRHR. Along with documenting the ways in which the pandemic hinders access to services, we note that it is essential to interrogate state-society relations in the context of vulnerable and marginalized groups, in order to understand implications for SRHR. Intersectional analysis takes on greater importance now than in non-pandemic times as the state exercises more police or other powers and deploys myriad ways of 'othering'.We conclude that an intersectional analysis should not limit itself to the cumulative disadvantages and injustices posed by the pandemic for specific social groups, but also examine the historical inequalities, structural drivers, and damaged social contract that underlie state-society relationships. At the same time, the pandemic has questioned the status quo and in doing so it has provided opportunities for disruption; for re-imagining a social contract that reaches across sectors, and builds community resilience and solidarities while upholding human rights and gender justice. This must find place in future organizing and advocacy around SRHR.