Did you miss it? Here’s what happened at HRC 58!

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 24 February to 04 April 2025. The ongoing liquidity crisis experienced by the United Nations, which deeply affects the Council’s functioning, has once again put civil society organisations under an additional and significant burden - especially when it comes to accessing hybrid modalities and organising side events. The United Nations Office at Geneva is now charging civil society for the use of interpretation booths at side events as well as for the use of any type of hybrid modality, such as Webex.

Here’s What to Expect at HRC 58

The 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 24 February to 4 April 2025. Once again, the session will not be hybrid because of the absence of a mandate from the General Assembly to retain remote participation. This will not affect pre-recorded statements at all debates, panels and discussions as well as the webcasting on UN Web TV of the public meetings scheduled in the Programme of Work.

Did you miss it? Here’s what happened at HRC 57!

The 57th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 9 September to 11 October 2024. The ongoing liquidity crisis experienced by the United Nations, which deeply affects the Council’s functioning, has once again put civil society organisations under an additional and significant burden - especially when it comes to accessing hybrid modalities and organising side events.

Did you miss it? Here’s what happened at HRC 56!

The 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 18 June to 12 July 2024. The ongoing liquidity crisis experienced by the United Nations, which deeply affects the Council’s functioning, has once again put civil society organisations under an additional and significant burden - especially when it comes to accessing hybrid modalities and organising side events. Below, you will find information on some of the key sexual rights-related: Resolutions Panel discussions Oral statements UPR Outcomes Side Events

What to expect at UPR 46

The 46th session of the Universal Periodic will take place from 29 April to 10 May 2024. All of the review sessions will be live-streamed on UN Web TV. 14 Countries are under review during the session: New Zealand, Afghanistan, Chile, Cyprus, Uruguay, Yemen, Vanuatu, North Macedonia, Comoros, Slovakia, Eritrea, Viet Nam, Dominican Republic and Cambodia.

Did you miss it? Here’s what happened at HRC 55!

The 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 26 February to 5 April 2024. Due to the ongoing liquidity crisis experienced by the Council, civil society organisations were asked to pay for the use of hybrid modalities for their side events through the WebEX platform for the first time in the Council's history. This puts an additional and significant burden on organisations that have very limited budgets to engage with the HRC, which is deeply concerning.

2023 In Review

Last year, our work continued to highlight how sexual rights are profoundly impacted by the interrelated global crises brought on by capitalism through rampant neoliberalism, unchecked extractivism and climate degradation, violent populism and nationalism, soaring inequality within and between states, and entrenched patriarchal, racist, classist and ableist systems of oppression. Read below for our highlights of 2023.

Here’s What to Expect at HRC 54

The 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 11 September to 13 October 2023. The COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions have meant that HRC 54 will be held in a hybrid format with online and in-person modalities for informal negotiations, voting and statements. Due to the ongoing renovations started in 2020 and since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, side events taking place in the Palais will be limited to one per organisation and one hour in duration. Below you can find information about: Anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports UPR outcomes SRI’s online events taking place during the 54th session

Request for Expressions of Interest: Consultancy Services: Communications support

The key objective of this consultancy is to support the communications and knowledge translation work of the Geneva office. The consultant will be responsible for creating and delivering content in accessible ways via diverse communications tools and platforms (including website, social media, and earned media); and documenting the challenges, successes, opportunities, and learnings of inter-linked advocacy in global, regional, and national policy processes.

SRI's statement on the Special Rapporteur on VAW, Reem Alsalem, harmful position on gender identity

In response to the UN Special Rapporteur on violence against women and girls, Reem Alsalem’s harmful position against legal gender recognition through self-identification, the Sexual Rights Initiative has decided to stop engaging with this mandate-holder, and encourages other feminist organizations and activists to do the same.

2022 In Review

As we embark on another year of activism for sexual rights, we wanted to share with you our highlights of 2022. While the UN human rights system continues to be confronted by multiple challenges –from funding shortages, geopolitical tensions and polarisation and attempts to undermine multilateralism to the presence and influence of regressive and conservative actors, we have made steadfast progress in advancing sexual rights in this system. Read below for our highlights of 2022.

What to expect at HRC 44

After being delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the resuming of HRC43 from 15 to 23 June, and after several rounds of consultations on dates and modalities, the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from Tuesday 30 June to Monday 20 July (tentative end date).
Find below information about restrictions to civil society participation this session, anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes, and our online event taking place during the 44th session. Please note that all dates are provisional and subject to change. The latest information throughout the session will be available on the HRC44 page.

Here’s What to Expect at HRC39

The 39th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from September 10-28, 2018. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes, and parallel events taking place during the 39th session.
 

Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights

Joint HRC38 End of Session Statement

The Center for Reproductive Rights, the Sexual Rights Initiative, the Association for Progressive Communications, the International Service for Human Rights, the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education, the World Young Women Christian Association welcome the major gains on women’s and girls’ rights and sexual and reproductive health and rights at the 38th session of the Human Rights Council.

What happened at HRC38

The 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from June 18 to July 6, 2018. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights related resolutions, oral statements and annual discussions. All of which the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) was engaged with during the session.

 

Featured News

What to Expect at HRC38

The 38th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from June 18 to July 6, 2018.

Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels, reports, UPR outcomes, and parallel events taking place during the 38th session.

Click here to access the full programme of work for HRC38

 

 

Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights

SRI collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR30

The 30th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) is taking place now until 18 May, 2018 at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva. Fourteen countries will be reviewed during the session: Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Burkina Faso, Canada, Cabo Verde, CameroonColombia, Cuba, Djibouti, Germany, Russian Federation, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu and Uzbekistan.

NEW UPR Sexual Rights Database is here!

The Sexual Rights Initiative invites you to visit our new and improved Universal Periodic Review Sexual Rights Database. The database allows you to search all the sexual rights related recommendations and references made during UPR sessions at the UN Human Rights Council, including progress on the implementation of accepted recommendations. The database is part of a suite of tools developed by the SRI to support State accountability for the realization of all human rights related to sexuality, reproduction and gender. UPRDATABASE.ORG

What to Expect at the 36th Human Rights Council Session

The 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 11th to the 29th of September 2017. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes, and parallel events taking place during the 36th session.

Here’s What Happened at HRC35!

The 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 6th to the 23rd of June 2017. The HRC35 Recap provides information on some of the key sexual rights related resolutions and oral statements. All of which the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) was engaged with during the session.

Sexual Rights at the 27th UN Universal Periodic Review

The 27th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva from 1-12 May 2017. Eleven countries were reviewed during UPR27: Bahrain, Ecuador, Tunisia, Morocco, Indonesia, Finland, United Kingdom, India, Brazil, Philippines, Algeria, Poland, Netherlands, and South Africa.

HRC34 Panel Highlights: Comprehensive Sexuality Education & Human Rights

The SRI organized a side event on the margins of session 34 of the Human Rights Council to highlight the role of human rights to comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The event was held alongside the annual Day of Discussion on the Rights of the Child and negotiations on a resolution on the Rights of the Child in the context of the SDGs. A diverse panel of speakers representing States, UN agencies and youth-led organizations delivered insights on the current political, social and factual context of CSE, the need to address deeply entrenched gender norms that stigmatize young people’s sexuality, and solutions that support young people in realizing their human rights, including their right to CSE.

HRC34: Sexual Rights Recap

The 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 27th of February to the 24th of March 2017. Here is an overview of resolutions, panel, oral statements and side events related to sexual rights that took place during the session.

OHCHR Wants to Hear from You! Mapping the History and Achievements of Civil Society

‘Imagining a World Without Participation’: Mapping the History and Achievements of Civil Society

June 2017 thematic report to the UN Human Rights Council by the Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association

Source: OHCHR

The space for civil society globally has shrunk dramatically over the last 10 years. In established democracies as well as in autocratic regimes and states in transition, laws and practices constraining freedoms of association and of peaceful assembly have flourished.

SRHR Highlights from UPR26

Find out which human rights recommendations were accepted, noted or deferred by Haiti, Iceland, Lithuania, Moldova (Republic of), South Sudan, Syrian Arab Republic, Timor-Leste, Togo, Uganda, Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of), and Zimbabwe during the latest UN Universal Periodic Review.

The 26th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 31 October-11 November 2016.

What to expect at HRC33

The 33rd session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 12th the 30th of September 2016. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes and parallel events taking place during the 33rd session.
 

Click here to access the full programme of work for HRC33

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Expected Resolutions Relevant to Sexual Rights

Three Questions to the Sexual Rights Initiative

During the 49th session of the Conference on Population and Development (CPD) in New York, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) officially launched the National Sexual Rights Law and Policy Database. Simavi spoke with Meghan Doherty and Neha Sood, Policy and Advocacy officers with SRI partner Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights, about the importance of this database and how it could support local communities to improve their sexual rights.

 

New web platform to uphold the universality of rights in the face of rising threats

The Observatory on the Universality of Rights (OURs) is pleased to announce the launch of its web platform: oursplatform.org The platform will be the go-to place for information and resources on safeguarding the universality of rights in international and regional human rights spaces.

 

A new collaborative project

SRI launches National Sexual Rights Law and Policy Database!

The Sexual Rights Initiative is delighted to announce that our National Sexual Rights Law and Policy Database is now live! Thank you to the many, many people who helped make this project a reality.

What it is all about?

Sexualrightsdatabase.org is a one-stop-shop for national Constitutions, laws and policies related to sexual rights, including reproductive rights and sexual and reproductive health. Users can search by country or issue and can compare across countries.

Sexual Rights at UPR24

The 24th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 18-29 January 2016. Here is a recap of sexual rights at UPR24.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR24 including: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands and Somalia.

HRC30 Event Highlights: Unsafe Abortion and Maternal Mortality and Morbidity

 

On September 29th, during the 30th session of the Human Rights Council, we co-hosted a side event to discuss the importance of addressing unsafe abortion in order to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.

 

Panel Highlights

The panel opened with a video from Ipas on the lack of access to safe and legal abortion in Rwanda.

 

HRC30 Event Highlights: Protection Gaps for Sexual Rights

On September 22nd, during the 30th session of the Human Rights Council, we co-hosted a side event to discuss protection gaps around sexual rights. The five panelists discussed the nature and causes of existing protection gaps in sexual rights, and gave recommendations to further protections for all individuals in the field of sexuality.

Wrap-up: Sexual Rights at HRC28

The HRC28 Wrap-up provides information on some of the key sexual rights related resolutions, panels and presentations, statements, and parallel events that the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) was engaged with during the 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council from the 2nd to the 27th of March 2015.

 

Sexual Rights-related Resolutions

Towards better investment in the rights of the child

Wrap-up: Sexual Rights at UPR22

The 22nd session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 4 – 21 May 2015.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR22 including: Andorra, Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Honduras, Jamaica, Liberia, Libya, Malawi, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Panama, and the United States of America.

UN HRC adopts resolution on better investment in children’s rights, calling for access to sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) welcomes the adoption by the UN Human Rights Council (the Council or the HRC) on 27 March 2015 of its annual resolution on the rights of the child, entitled ‘Towards better investment in the rights of the child’. By means of this resolution, the Council calls upon governments to ensure access of all people, including children, without discrimination, to a range of health services, including sexual and reproductive health care services (paragraph 28).

Sexual Rights at UPR21

The 21st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 19 – 30 January 2015.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR21 including: Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Guinea, Lao People’s Democratic Republic, Spain, Lesotho, Kenya, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Sweden, Grenada, Turkey, Guyana, and Kuwait.

SRI collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR21

The 21st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will take place at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 19 – 30 January 2015.

Fourteen countries will be reviewed during the session, including: Kyrgyzstan, Kiribati, Guinea, Lao Peopl’s Democratic Republic, Spain, Lesotho, Kenya, Armenia, Guinea-Bissau, Sweden, Grenada, Turkey, Guyana, Kuwait

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national NGOs and activists in four countries up for review to prepare five stakeholder submissions:
 

SRI collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR20

The 20th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) will take place at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from October 27 – November 7 2014. Fourteen countries will be reviewed during the session, including: Italy, El Salvador, Gambia, Bolivia, Fiji, San Marino, Kazakhstan, Angola, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Madagascar, Iraq, Slovenia, Egypt, and Bosnia Herzegovina.

The Human Rights-Based Approach, the Right to Development, and the North-South Divide

The north-south divide between member states at the Human Rights Council continued to intensify during its 27th session. Why has the growing polarisation between a cross section of global north and global south States come up in both formal events and informal negotiations?

New Publication: Lessons From the First Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) is pleased to announce the publication of the UNFPA report Lessons From the First Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review: From Commitment to Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.

Developed by the UNFPA and based on research and analysis conducted by Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) on behalf of the SRI, the report examines the role the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism can play in advancing the realization of human rights related to sexuality and gender at the global, regional and country levels.

Sexual Rights at HRC27

The 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 8-26 September 2014. Here you will find information regarding some sexual rights-related resolutions, discussions, UPR outcomes and parallel events taking place during the session.

Click here to access the full programme of work for the 27th session

 

Expected Sexual Rights-related Resolutions

SRI partner in Guyana garners press attention following submission of UPR report

In preparation for the 21st session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), the SRI, with support from coalition-member Akahata, collaborated with the Society Against Sexual Orientation Discrimination (SASOD) (a Guyanese human rights organization dedicated to achieving equality and justice for all, particularly those who experience discrimination based on their sexuality, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression), to prepare a stakeholder submission for Guyana’s review.

SRI hosts Human Rights Council Event on the ‘Criminalization of sexuality and reproduction’

Alongside the ongoing 26th session of the Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative, in partnership with, Ipas, Amnesty International and UNAIDS, hosted a parallel event examining the interplay of the criminalization of sexuality and reproduction with the international human rights framework.

SRI partner CREA launches new feminist toolkit

CREA is happy to announce the release of its new publication: Achieving Transformative Feminist Leadership: A Toolkit for Organisations and Movements.

The Toolkit aims to help individuals and organisations dedicated to advancing a feminist social change agenda–an agenda based on the belief that all development and social justice must be rooted in gender and social equality. The Toolkit is part of CREA’s continuous endeavour to strengthen feminist leadership of women and grassroots organisations, seeking to further the transformative goals of the feminist movement.

Sexual Rights @ UPR19

The 19th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the Human Rights Council (HRC) from April 28 – May 9 2014.

14 countries were reviewed during UPR 19 including: Albania, Bhutan, Brunei Darussalam, Côte d’Ivoire, Costa Rica, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Dominica, Ethiopia, Equatorial Guinea, Nicaragua, Norway, Portugal and Qatar. The outcome reports of these reviews will be adopted during the 27th session of the HRC session in September 2014.

Video: HRC25 event on Intersectionality and Impunity: locating sexual orientation and gender identity in human rights

A side event entitled “Intersectionality and Impunity: locating Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity in the Human Rights Discourse” took place on Wednesday 19 March 2014. The event was co-sponsored by, alphabetically, Coalition of SOGI Malaysia, ICARH, ILGA, ISHR, JSA Consulting Group and the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI). Panelists included human rights defenders from India, Malaysia, Nigeria and Switzerland as well as a representative of OHCHR; including the SRI’s Sunita Kujur (representing CREA).

SRI HRC25 Wrap-up

The 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from March 3 – 28 2014. The first week of the four-week session comprised of a ‘High-level segment’ during which high-level dignitaries addressed the Council. Below is a round-up of sexual rights-related news from the 25th session of the Council.

Highlights

SRI and WILPF respond to the ‘protection of the family’ initiative

SRI responds to request from President of UN General Assembly for contributions on the role of women, the young and civil society

In response to the request from the President of the General Assembly (PGA) for contributions to the High-Level Event on the role of women, the young and civil society, the SRI prepared a submission focusing on women and young peoples’ sexual and reproductive rights. The submission calls for the Post-2015 development framework to integrate a human rights-based approach.

SRI submission to OHCHR on traditional values

In 2013, in response to the request from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for submissions on ‘how a better understanding and appreciation of traditional values of dignity, freedom and responsibility could contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights,’ the SRI submitted a report focusing on the many practices and norms that discriminate against women and other groups of people.

EIPR launches publication “Reclaiming and Redefining Rights – ICPD+20: Status of sexual and reproductive rights in Middle East and North Africa”

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights recently launched a new publication entitled “Reclaiming and Redefining Rights – ICPD+20: Status of sexual and reproductive rights in Middle East and North Africa.” The publication progress achieved and challenges remaining in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), since 1994 in the MENA region. The report is contextualized within recent and ongoing events including the Arab Spring, Governmental positions during recent global conferences, among other events.

SRI & Women for Women’s Human Rights – New Ways submits report on early and forced marriage to OHCHR

Pursuant to HRC resolution A/HRC/RES/24/23 on child, early and forced marriage, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) & Women for Women’s Human Rights (New Ways), based on Turkey, submitted a report on preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriage. The report explores the terminology of ‘child, early and forced’ marriage,’ the human rights dimensions of the issue, and strategies and recommendations to address and prevent early and forced marriage. Some of the recommendations include:

“Black Day for Human Rights in India” CREA

Human rights activists across the country are deeply disappointed with today’s decision of the Supreme Court in Suresh Kumar Kaushal v. Naz Foundation to overturn the historic Delhi High Court judgement of 2009, which decriminalised homosexuality in India. CREA believes that today’s decision to set aside that historic and progressive judgement is an unconscionable blow to people’s fundamental rights to equality and freedom from discrimination, violence, and harassment. This is a huge setback not just for the LGBT movement in this country and elsewhere, but also for human rights everywhere.

Overview of the 24th Session of the HRC

The 24th Session of the Human Rights Council took place from September 9th until the 27th 2013. Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) partners participated in the session to ensure that sexual rights issues are included and advanced. SRI partners collectively advocated for the increased understanding and integration of issues related to sexual and reproductive rights, gender equality and human rights in resolutions, and through parallel events and oral statements.

 

HRC23 Resolutions

Summary of SRI organized event on the Decriminalization of Abortion during the 24th session of the HRC

To commemorate the 2013 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion (September 28th), the Sexual Rights Initiative organized an event that took place during the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council to discuss the realization of women’s human rights, specifically women’s right to access safe and legal abortion, including through the decriminalization of abortion. Being one of the first events on the topic at the Council, it represents a ground-breaking moment in its history. Widely attended by over 30 representatives from Member States – making up half of the audience, UN agencies, civil society, women human rights defenders and academics, they assessed the human rights implications of the criminalization of abortion and explored strategies to strengthen government accountability and responsibility in respecting, protecting and guaranteeing women’s reproductive and human rights.

ACPD represented on UN HRC panel during the Annual Discussion on gender integration

Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD), a member of the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) coalition, was represented on the panel for the UN Human Rights Council’s (HRC) Annual Discussion on the integration of a gender perspective. The discussion took place as part of the official proceedings of the HRC’s 24th session. The topic of the discussion was “Civil society’s contribution to the integration of a gender perspective in the work of the Human Rights Council and its mechanisms.”

 

Calendar of reviews for 2nd cycle of the UPR

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism of the United Nations Human Rights Council is used to review each of the 193 Member States of the United Nations (UN) on its entire human rights record every four and a half years. Although relatively new, it is a powerful tool to hold governments accountable for sexual and reproductive rights violations, and to advocate for changes to particular laws and policies that impact on human rights related to sexuality. The 1st cycle (sessions 1-12) of the UPR began in 2008 and ended in 2011.

Overview of the 23rd Session of the UN Human Rights Council

The 23rd Session of the Human Rights Council ran from May 27 until June 14 2013. Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) partners participated in the session to ensure that sexual rights issues are included and advanced. SRI partners collectively advocated for the recognition and integration of issues related to sexual and reproductive rights, gender equality and human rights in the resolutions discussed throughout this session.

SRI parallel event on SRHR at HRC23

On June 6th 2013, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI), in collaboration with the World YWCA, and Permanent Missions to the UN in Geneva of Finland, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Uruguay organized a parallel event on ‘the role of the Human Rights Council in advancing sexual and reproductive rights and health in the post-2015 development agenda’.

SRI @ the ICPD Beyond 2014 International Conference on Human Rights

The ICPD Beyond 2014 International Conference on Human Rights took place in The Netherlands from 7-10 July 2013. The Conference is the second thematic conference, following the ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Youth Forum (which took place in Indonesia, in December 2012), to take place within the scope of the ongoing review of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD PoA).

Summary of Recommendations from UPR 13

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) collaborated with national NGOs in several of the countries under review to prepare stakeholder submissions and advocate for strong recommendations on sexual and reproductive rights.

Women are being side-lined in times of political transition

SRI statement on the Working Group on Discrimination Against Women in Law and Practice’s first report to the Human Rights Council

Delivered by Dalia Abd El–Hameed, EIPR (Egypt)

 

Thank you Madam President

We would like to use this opportunity to welcome the report of the working group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and practice.

Control over sexuality a major cause of gender related killings

The Special Rapporteur highlights that the killings can be direct with defined perpetrators in the home, community or by the State and, critically, gender-motivated killings can also be indirect where the perpetrator is not so easily defined such as in the case of deaths from clandestine abortions, maternal mortality, deaths from harmful traditional practices and deaths from neglect through starvation or ill-treatment. Restrictive abortion laws and criminalization of abortion that lead women to seek illegal abortions coupled with poor access to reproductive health services have been recognized as causes of preventable maternal mortality. In addition, harmful practices that seek to control women’s and girls’ sexuality through violence and stigma are reinforced by the State’s failure to protect women’s and girls’ rights from a holistic perspective which takes into account the political, economic and social context in which this violence occurs.

We also share the consideration of a problem of killings of women based on sexual orientation and gender identity. This constitutes multiple discrimination and is fueled by homophobic statements and positions by states and non-state actors, including their analysis on tradition, culture and religion.

Criminal Laws and Women’s Right to Health

The Sexual Rights Initiative and partners co-sponsored a side event at the 20th session of the Human Rights Council focusing on criminal laws and women’s right to health. The objective of the event was to provide a forum for States and stakeholders in Geneva to discuss the key findings and recommendations of the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health’s 2011 report to the General Assembly on the criminalization of sexual and reproductive health including abortion.