Videos

Rebecca Brown speaking on the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.

To commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

Part II of question period during the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.

To commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

Chantal Umuhoza speaking on the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.

To commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

Part I of question period during the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.

To commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

Valentina Zendejas speaking on the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.

To commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

Jan Moolman peaking on the side-event Abortion Stigma, Criminalization and Restrictive Laws and Policies during the 27th Session of the Human Rights Council.

Held during the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council, the panel identifies protection gaps for comprehensively addressing sexual rights and the work of the Human Rights Council in addressing sexual rights, while exploring new mechanisms and strategies that can be implemented to address sexual rights in comprehensive and effective ways.

Held during the thirty-first session of the Human Rights Council, the panel discusses key principles, approaches and tools for the promotion and protection of sexual health and human rights. Panelists shared experiences from the national and regional level and recommendations on some of the priority actions needed for the advancement of sexual health as well as addressed the integration of sexual health into Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) priorities.

Varyanne Sika, from the Coalition of African Lesbians, explains why she is attending #HRC39 and tells us about the SRI side event on regional perspectives on abortion law and policy reform.

Marta Szostak tells us about abortion and "gender ideology" in Poland, and explains how the ASTRA Network and SRI partner the Federation for Women and Family Planning use the Human Rights Council to advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Fernando D'Elio, from SRI partner Akahatá, explains how Akahatá uses the international human rights system and the HRC to advocate for human rights related to gender and sexuality.

Dário de Sousa and Sabino Nhantumbo (Associação Lambda, Mozambique) tell us why the Human Rights Council matters for their advocacy work in Mozambique.

Marion Stevens, from the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition (SRJC), tells us about the current SRHR challenges in South Africa, and the ways in which South Africa's participation in multilateral spaces does not reflect its national and international human rights obligations and commitments.

Amanda Hodgeson, from SRI partner the Coalition of African Lesbians, tells us about the barriers faced by young Black women in accessing the Human Rights Council.

Emeline Dupuis (Sexual Rights Initiative) nous parle des obstacles à la participation des jeunes femmes au Conseil des droits de l'homme et à l'ONU. She also tells us about the Federation for Women and Family Planning's #HRC39 statement on abortion and sexual and reproductive rights in honor of #Sept28.

Victoria Pedrido de Akahatá nos explica por qué Akahatá es parte de la SRI, y la importancia de formar alianzas para avanzar los derechos sexuales al nivel global.

SRI side event discussing the need for Comprehensive Sexuality Education at the 37th session of the Human Rights Council.

Speakers:
Karin Nilsson, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Avni Amin, Technical Officer, World Health Organization (WHO)
Makeda Zook, Health Promotion and Education Officer, Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights

Moderator:
Kate Gilmore, Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights of the United Nations (OHCHR)

Sandeep Prasad (Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights) tells us about Canada's review by the UN Committee against Torture, for which Action Canada and the Sexual Rights Initiative submitted an alternative report on the forced sterilization of Indigenous women and women with disabilities, and on comprehensive sexuality education.

Juan S. Jaime P., asesor para la incidencia en la Iniciativa por los Derechos Sexuales, habla sobre el proceso de examen que hacen los órganos de tratado a los Estados Partes y sobre las novedades que dejó la más reciente sesión del Comité sobre los Derechos de las Personas con Discapacidad.

Juan S. Jaime P. and Pooja Badarinath tell us about the CEDAW Committee's half-day of discussion on trafficking in women and girls in the context of global migration, and about the Sexual Rights Initiative's submission to the Committee.

Read about the day of discussion here.

Victoria Pedrido de Akahatá nos habla del informe del Relator especial sobre la situación de las defensoras de los derechos humanos, y de los embates sexistas y patriarcales a los que se enfrentan.

Anthea Taderera from the Coalition of African Lesbians will be speaking on our panel "Resistance and Resilience" on women human rights defenders working on sexual rights in regional and international human rights mechanisms.

Fernando D'Elio de Akahatá nos habla de los obstáculos a los que se enfrentan las mujeres defensoras de derechos humanos en las Naciones Unidas y en el sistema interamericano de derechos humanos.

Krystyna Kacpura from the Federation for Women and Family Planning tells us about the important role of regional human rights institutions and global solidarity in advancing women's right to abortion in Poland.

"Intersectionality and Impunity: Locating Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Human Rights Discourse"
19 March 2014, UN Human Rights Council, Geneva
Side event by JSA Consulting, ICARH, ILGA, ISHR, Malaysia SOGI Coalition and the Sexual Rights Initiative,

"Intersectionality and Impunity: Locating Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in the Human Rights Discourse"
19 March 2014, UN Human Rights Council, Geneva
Side event by JSA Consulting, ICARH, ILGA, ISHR, Malaysia SOGI Coalition and the Sexual Rights Initiative. 

In recognition of the Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the panel Global Action on Safe and Legal Abortion shared different country experiences of advocating for safe and legal abortion, highlighted the human rights obligations of States to provide access to safe and legal abortion, and discussed opportunities to utilize HRC mechanisms to affect policy and legal changes at the national level.

Using human rights law and standards to advance the right to access safe and legal abortion.

Most States in all regions of the world deliver some form of sexuality education as part of their education system. However, their implementation is often missing critical aspects related to gender equality, sexuality, human rights, relationship skills, and gender-based violence. During the event, panelists will discuss new tools, guidelines and strategies to bridge these gaps and ensure policy is driven by evidence and human rights standards.

9 September 2014 - Held during the 27th session of the UN Human Rights Council, to commemorate the 2014 Global Day of Action for the Decriminalization of Abortion, the panel explores the linkages between abortion stigma, criminalization and restrictive laws and policies, and examines their impact on the rights of women, particularly adolescent girls.

MODERATOR: Sandeep Prasad (ACPD/SRI)

PANELISTS: Chantal Umuhoza (Ipas Consultant); Rebecca Brown (Center for Reproductive Rights); Valentina Zendejas (IIMMHR/Instituto de Liderazgo Simone de Beauvoir); and Jan Moolman (APC).

Meghan Doherty discusses current global trends in safeguarding and advancing sexual and reproductive health rights. Megan is part of the SRI as Global Policy and Advocacy Officer at Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights.

The presentation took place at Universal Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health: Realizing Health and Human Rights, an Official Side Event of the 34th Session of the Human Rights Council organized by UNRISD and the Sexual Rights Initiative.

An introduction to the work of the United Nations Human Rights Council, produced by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. 

Krystyna Kacpura, Executive Director of the Federation for Women and Family Planning, tells us about the Federation's history fighting for access to abortion in Poland.

Saraban Tahur Zaman tells us about the Right Here Right Now Bangladesh Platform, its priorities, and its advocacy for sexual and reproductive rights at the Universal Periodic Review and the Human Rights Council.

Fernando D'Elio, from SRI partner AKAHATÁ, tells us how the Universal Periodic Review can be integrated into national advocacy work on sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Sarah Kennell (Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights) tells us about Canada's review at the UPR and the work done by Action Canada and the Canadian Alliance for Sex Work Law Reform to call for better access to abortion care, comprehensive sexuality education, and decriminalization of sex work in Canada.

Held during the 30th session of the UN Human Rights Council. The panel emphasized the importance of addressing unsafe abortion in order to eliminate preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, while identifying the human rights dimensions of unsafe abortion, and elaborating on State obligations with respect to addressing unsafe abortion.

Amanda Hodgeson, from our partner the Coalition of African Lesbians, tells us about the Human Rights Council's adoption of the resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in humanitarian settings, and its rejection of Egypt's proposed amendment seeking to remove "comprehensive sexuality education" from the text.

Meghan Doherty (Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights/SRI) tells us why preventable maternal mortality and morbidity is undeniably a human rights issue, and how it has been addressed over the years at the Human Rights Council and the UN.

Pooja Badarinath (Sexual Rights Initiative) tells us about Human Rights Council Resolution 39/10 on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in humanitarian settings, and the reasons why governments still find this issue "contentious."