News

Interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression

The 49th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 28 February to 1 April, 2022.

The 39th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held in Geneva, from November 1-12, 2021. Thirteen countries were reviewed during UPR39: Antigua and Barbuda, Eswatini, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Papua New Guinea, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, Suriname, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Trinidad and Tobago.

The 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from June 21 to July 14, 2021.

The 47th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from June 21 to July 15.

The 38th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held in Geneva, from May 3-14, 2021.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR38: Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Palau, Paraguay, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, Somalia.

The 37th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held in Geneva, from January 18-29, 2021.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR37: Micronesia, Mauritania, Lebanon, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Australia, Nepal, Oman, Austria, Myanmar, Rwanda, Georgia, Nauru, and Sao Tome and Principe.

The 34th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held in Geneva, from November 4 to 15, 2019.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR34: Angola, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Egypt, El Salvador, Fiji, Gambia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Kazakhstan, Madagascar, San Marino, and Slovenia.

The 40th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from February 25th to March 22rd, 2019.

Sexual Rights at the 40th UN Human Rights Council

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

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.

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.

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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

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.

The 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from February 26 to March 23rd 2018. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights related: Resolutions, Oral Statements, Side Events and Panels.

The 37th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from February 26 to March 23, 2018.

The 29th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from January 15 to 26 2018.

Fourteen countries were reviewed during UPR29: Bahamas, Barbados, Botswana, Burundi, France, Israel, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Mali, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Tonga, and United Arab Emirates.

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

The 28th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 6-17 November 2017.

The 28th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 6-17 November 2017.

The 36th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 11-29 September 2017. Below you will find information on some of the key sexual rights related: Resolutions, Oral Statements, Side Events and Panels.

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.

Major Gains on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights at the 35th Session of the Human Rights Council

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.

The 35th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 6th to the 24th of June 2017. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, and parallel events taking place during the 35th session.

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.

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.

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.

The 34th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from 27 February to 24 March 2017. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes and parallel events taking place during the 34th session.

‘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.

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.

The 33rd session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 12th to the 30th of September 2016. Here is an overview of resolutions, panel, oral statements and side events related to sexual rights that took place during the session.

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

The 32nd session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 13th of June to the 1st of July 2016. Here is a recap of sexual rights related resolutions, panels and statements.

The 25th session of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) was held at the UN Human Rights Council, in Geneva, from 2-13 May 2016. Below are some sexual rights related highlights from each UPR25 review.

The Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights’ adopted General Comment 22 on the Right to Sexual and Reproductive Health, adopted in March 2016.

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.

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

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.

The 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from the 29th of February to the 24th of March 2016. Here is a recap of sexual rights related resolutions, panels, statements and events at the session.

The 31st session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 29th of February to the 24th of March 2016. Find below information about anticipated sexual rights-related resolutions, panels and reports, UPR outcomes and parallel events taking place during the 31st session.

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.

Source: AWID

During the 62nd CEDAW session held in November 2015, AWID, ARROW, SRI and the World Council of Churches presented a thematic briefing to the CEDAW Committee in Geneva titled “Religious Fundamentalisms, Extreme Interpretations of Religion and Gender Justice”

UPR23: Joint stakeholder submissions in collaboration with national organizations

The following is an overview from the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council. It includes resolutions, panels and discussions, statements and parallel events related to sexual rights of which the SRI was engaged with during the session.

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.

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.

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

The Sexual Rights Initiative welcomes the adoption by the United Nations Human Rights Council of three resolutions that advance gender equality, empowerment and the human rights of women and girls. These resolutions are entitled:
 

The 29th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 15th of June to the 3rd of July 2015.

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.

Written by Fernando D’Elio of Akahata (with input from Neha Sood of Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights) as part of the 2015 ILGA Report on State-Sponsored Homophobia. 

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

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).

Alongside the Iranian Queer Organization (IRQO), the Sexual Rights Initiative submitted a joint stakeholders report for the Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review of Iran.

The 28th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from the 2nd to the 27th of March 2015.

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.

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:
 

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 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?

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.

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

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.

Action Canada for Population and Development reports back from 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council:

The 26th session of the UN Human Rights Council took place from 10 – 27 June 2014. Below are some highlights of sexual rights-related to Resolutions, discussions, UPR outcomes and parallel events that the SRI engaged with during this session.

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.

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.

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.

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).

World leaders on women’s reproductive rights draft ‘Airlie Declaration on safe legal abortion’

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

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.

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.

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.

The 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from March 3 – 28 2014. The first week of the four-week session will comprise of a ‘High-level segment’ during which high-level dignitaries will address the Council.

UPR18: sexual rights-related outcomes

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:

(Click ‘start prezi’ to scroll through highlights from 2013. Can be viewed in ‘full screen’ mode by clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner of the prezi.)

The SRI wishes you all the very best for a restful holiday season!

Click here to view the prezi in a web browser.

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.

In preparation of the 24th session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), the Sexual Rights Initiative produced an analysis of the terminology of child, early and forced marriage from the international human rights law and UN policy perspectives.

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

Federation for Women and Family Planning pushes back against further attempts to restrict access to abortion in Poland

Summary of SRI co-organized event on Maternal Mortality and Morbidity 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.

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.”

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.

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.

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’.

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).

SRI collaborates with national organizations and activists in preparation for UPR19

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.

SRI statement on the follow up and implementation of the Vienna Programme of Action

Delivered by Fernando D’Elio, Akahata (Argentina)

Thank you Madam President

Joint statement of SRI & COC Netherlands

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.

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.

SRI statement during interactive dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on trafficking in persons, especially women and children

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.