HRC50 - SRI, Federation for Women and Family Planning, PATENT Joint Statement to Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression

50th session of the Human Rights Council

Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the

Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression

24 June 2022

Federation for Women and Family Planning

Thank you, President. The Federation makes this statement also on behalf of People Opposing Patriarchy Association and the Sexual Rights Initiative.

We welcome the Special Rapporteur’s report on her visit to Hungary and we confirm that indeed, independent civil society organizations like ours (PATENT Association) have been targeted by the Hungarian government with various legislative and propaganda tools, for example the so-called Transparency Law.

Additionally, vital initiatives by women’s organizations are continuously treated with hostility. In the past few years we have been dismissed, ridiculed, rejected by state officials and institutions and smeared in state media outlets for speaking up against restrictions on abortion access, conducting court-watch projects for monitoring sexist, victim-blaming legal practices, raising concerns on newly introduced custody laws that harm victims of domestic abuse, requesting data on violence against women related to police and court procedures, and for delivering sexual and reproductive health education and violence prevention for youth - this is related to the recent homophobic legislation commonly known as the "Paedophile Law".

We call on Hungary to stop depriving students from vital comprehensive sexuality education and violence-prevention programmes; to collect and provide data on violence against women; and to allow access to balanced and scientific information on reproductive health and rights that would enable people to make informed decisions.

Thank you.