WUNRN
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENTARY FORUM ON
POPULATION & DEVELOPMENT
A network of Members of Parliaments from across Europe who are interested in protecting women's sexual and reproductive rights, supporting the International Conference on Population and Development's Programme of Action. We believe that development starts when women's sexual and reproductive rights are respected.
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/global-development/2013/may/10/un-women-sexual-reproductive-rights
UN
MUST GIVE CLEAR INCLUSION OF WOMEN'S SEXUAL & REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN THE
POST-2015 DEVELOPMENT AGENDA
Backlash from conservatives against women's rights must not prevent their
inclusion in development goals, EU conference told
Women
gather to see a community health worker in Bhaishahi village, Bardiya, western
By Liz Ford, The
Guardian – 10 May 2013
Explicit references to women's sexual
and reproductive health and rights must appear in any new set of development
targets, and the UN panel producing a first draft must be bold and seek real
change, a conference of parliamentarians heard on Thursday.
Baroness Glenys Kinnock, honorary co-president of
the Labour Campaign for International Development and a former MEP, told the European Parliamentary Forum on
Population and Development that women should be listened to, so
that their needs – rather than what NGOs and governments think they need – are
met. She criticised moves by conservatives, such as some members of the G77 group
of developing countries and the Holy See, for trying to block progress for
women.
Kinnock criticised the lack of reference to
women's sexual and reproductive rights in the millennium development goals (MDGs) when
they were launched in 2000. It wasn't until 2007 that references to family
planning were included in MDG five.
"We have to ask how it can
be that women are half the world's population but make up 70% of the world's
poor," she told the forum, a network of MPs interested in protecting
women's sexual and reproductive rights.
"We must ensure reproductive health and
rights are a real priority at the G8 and G20, and work to close the gap in unmet
need and extend universal access to services," she said, adding that the
UN high-level panel, which is outlining a framework for development
for after the MDGs expire in 2015, must deliver a bold document
that includes references to women's health rights.
The panel is expected to publish
its report this month, following meetings in
Thursday's conference, held in London, heard of a
growing backlash against women's rights that became acutely apparent at this
year's Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), which advocated agreement on
ending violence against women and girls. The commission faced strong lobbying by
conservative governments and religious groups to remove references to
reproductive rights, access to emergency contraception and sex education in its
outcome document. After months of debate, and two weeks of intense negotiations
in
The battle at the CSW was a clear
indication of the hostility that still exists towards women's rights, said
Diego Palacios, a post-2015 co-ordinator at the UN Population Fund (UNFPA).
"Conservative groups are
very active … with more resources. They can influence government, we are seeing
that," he said. He said that although there is wide acceptance of the
importance of women's sexual and reproductive rights, some of those involved in
post-2015 discussions "still believe perhaps these [issues] could muddle
the discussion" and don't want them included in explicit terms.
But Palacios remains optimistic. He
said the success of the International Conference on Population and Development,
held in
The MDG process was closed, added
Palacios. "There were no women [involved] and no civil society
organisations, even experts were left out. The concerns of women were not
reflected," he said. The
"Things are different
now," he said. "In the post-2015 [discussions], we're hearing lots of
voices on the importance of including the reproductive rights agenda … We have
wide acceptance to consider the issue."
However, he urged MPs to continue
to press their governments for action and remind them of the agreements and
declarations on women's rights which they have signed up to. "You have a
role that is critical," he said. "How many commitments has your
government signed on women's rights, and sex and reproductive rights and
health? It would be a shame to come to post-2015 discussions and forget about
those discussions. We need to press governments.
"We need to ensure the
post-2015 agenda brings right and centre the issues … otherwise it will be
another missed opportunity and millions of women will suffer."