Report: International Conference on Population & Development+25

International Conference on Population & Development+25
Nairobi, Kenya, 12-13-14 November 2019

Press Release: 22 November 2019

What was it about: some history

This conference has taken place every five years, beginning in 1994. At each follow-up meeting, the overarching purpose has been to measure progress (and the lack of progress) in implementing the 1994 Programme of Action, which was agreed by acclamation by the representatives of 179 countries, and the follow-up actions added at subsequent conferences. An excellent summary of the aims, goals and history of the conference can be found here and a 20th anniversary edition of the Programme of Action can be found here along with a global report on progress published in 2014.

In 1994, UNFPA, the conference convenor, described the Programme of Action as: “a bold new vision about the relationships between population, development and individual well-being… remarkable in its recognition that [sexual and] reproductive health and reproductive rights, as well as women's empowerment and gender equality, are cornerstones of population and development programmes. The Consensus is rooted in principles of human rights and respect for national sovereignty and various religious and cultural backgrounds.”

Continued: https://mailchi.mp/safeabortionwomensright/press-release-international-conference-population-development-25?e=372dd34034

22.11.2019

Commentary

Featured

Ana Cristina González Vélez

Articulación Feminista Marcosur

decriminalisation of abortion

Gita Sen

Hedia Belhadj

Ib Petersen

ICPD Programme of Action 1994

ICPD25

International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion

International Conference on Population & Development

Kyle McCarter

Marge Berer

Marie Stopes International

maternal mortality

Nairobi Summit

Nairobi Summit on ICPD25

Naisola Likimani

OHCHR Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls

Programme of Action

sexual and reproductive health and rights

She Decides

Sustainable Development Goals

UNFPA

universal health coverage

YANAA

Young Activists Network for Abortion Advocacy

Abortion is Healthcare: 28 Providers

INTERNATIONAL SAFE ABORTION DAY 28 September 2019

Abortion is Healthcare: 28 Providers

A newsletter from the International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion, featuring the stories of 28 abortion providers, in honour of September 28.

Continued: https://mailchi.mp/safeabortionwomensright/abortion-is-healthcare-28-providers-for-international-safe-abortion-day?e=372dd34034

28.09.2019

abortion is healthcare

abortion providers

International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion

International Safe Abortion Day

September 28

stories from abortion providers

OPEN LETTER to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Heads of UN agencies & national leaders

OPEN LETTER to UN Secretary-General António Guterres, Heads of UN agencies & national leaders
RE: International Safe Abortion Day, 28 September 2019

24 September 2019

Dear Secretary-General Guterres, international & national leaders,

We write to you as leaders of the United Nations and its agencies, and through our members to national leaders, to invite you to make a public statement from your own office/agency in support of International Safe Abortion Day, 28 September 2019. We also ask that the United Nations makes it an official UN Day.

International Safe Abortion Day has been celebrated since 1990, initially in Latin America. The date was chosen in commemoration of the abolition of slavery in Brazil. It was declared an international day in 2011. In 2012, events and activities took place in some 50 countries, rising within a few years to 60-65 countries across all continents. A growing number of national leaders and human rights bodies now recognise the day and speak out in support of its goals. Journalists are giving it more media space with every year that passes, drawing prominent national figures into the discussion.

Continued: https://mailchi.mp/safeabortionwomensright/open-letter-to-un-secretary-general-heads-of-un-agencies-national-leaders-international-safe-abortion-day-2019?e=372dd34034

24.09.2019

abortion is healthcare

António Guterres

CEDAW

Committee on Civil and Political Rights

Committee on Economic Social and Cultural Rights

Committee on the Rights of the Child

ICPD

ICPD Programme of Action 1994

International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion

International Safe Abortion Day

September 28

Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women of the African Commission for Human and Peoples’ Rights

the Committee against Torture

UN High Commissioner on Human Rights

UN Secretary-General António Guterres

UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women and Girls

UN Working Group on discrimination against women in law and practice

GIBRALTAR – A referendum on a better abortion law set for Gibraltar March 2020

GIBRALTAR – A referendum on a better abortion law set for Gibraltar March 2020

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
July 23, 2019

The government of Gibraltar went back on its promise to make Gibraltar’s abortion law compliant with the Human Rights set out by the UK Supreme Court. Instead they have decided to put changing the abortion law to a public referendum. As the people of Ireland will be able to tell them, a public referendum will mean people who have had abortions being called upon to tell their “stories” in order to be judged by their peers. We are pretty cross about this, and while we hope the voters of Gibraltar do the right thing, we are sorry that the government has decided to play politics with women’s bodies (Abortion Support Network).

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/gibraltar-a-referendum-on-a-better-abortion-law-set-for-gibraltar-march-2020/

23.07.2019

International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion

EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT – Statement: Call on Ursula von der Leyen to strongly support and defend gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

Call on Ursula von der Leyen to strongly support and defend gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)

Jul 19, 2019
by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion

As Members of the European Parliament and representatives of MEPs for Sexual and Reproductive Rights and the pro-choice network ALL of US, we call on the newly elected President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen to protect and further strengthen gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights in the work programme for the European Commission 2019-2024.

… Gender equality is enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU and the EU is further promoting gender equality outside of its borders. Attacks on women’s rights and gender equality are attacks on fundamental rights and values, including democracy and the rule of law. Conversely, everybody benefits from the positive effects of gender equality policies – socially, politically and economically. The value of gender equality is also close to the hearts of European citizens – according to a 2017 Eurobarometer survey, 91% of Europeans believe that promoting it is important to ensuring a fair and democratic society.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/european-parliament-statement-call-on-ursula-von-der-leyen-to-strongly-support-and-defend-gender-equality-and-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-srhr/

HUNGARY – Birthrate, family and country: Viktor Orban wants women back in the home

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
Apr 30, 2019

When it comes to power, what does the far right do to women? In Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s racist, nationalist, extremist discourse goes hand in hand with the desire to keep women pregnant. In Poland, where the ultra-conservative Law and Justice party has been in power since 2015, the government is tirelessly trying, with the support of the Catholic Church, to prevent women from having access to abortion and contraception. “In these two countries, the role of women as individuals is slowly disappearing from public policies and being replaced by ‘the family’,” warns Andrea Pető, professor at the Central European University of Budapest.

“The Hungarian government is using two topics to campaign: its anti-immigration stance and the family,” says Dóra Papp, an activist and director of the petitions platform of aHang (The Voice). Last year, the government declared that 2018 would be the “year of families”.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/hungary-birthrate-family-and-country-viktor-orban-wants-women-back-in-the-home/

What’s been happening in Ireland & International Women’s Day in Norway

FEATURE: What's been happening in Ireland & International Women’s Day in Norway

International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
18 March 2019

Introduction
In the midst of the continuing shower of news from all over the world that I share with you, I’ve been collecting stories for a feature on Ireland. This is not a definitive piece, that will come from those who have been on the frontlines, but is based primarily on written information from a few key people and what has been in the media. This history describes an almost unique series of events, and one worth learning from. It’s a story of optimism winning over pessimism, of passionate positive action breaking down out-of-date barriers, and particularly of women’s personal stories, doorstep advocacy, highly visible supportive doctors and policymakers, all working with government to change the mindset of a nation and win a critical mass of support. They successfully created a sea-change in law, policy and service delivery in the blink of an eye. Edited by Marge Berer

The story in a nutshell
It took only seven months from the referendum that repealed the 8th Amendment to the Constitution in May 2018 for the law to be changed, providers trained, methods approved and ordered, and abortion services to become available officially in Ireland on 2 January 2019, free for everyone who is covered by existing schemes, such as the Maternity and Infant Care Scheme.

Continued: https://mailchi.mp/safeabortionwomensright/feature-whats-been-happening-in-ireland-international-womens-day-in-norway-18-march-2019?e=372dd34034

ARGENTINA – Girl, aged 11, raped by 65-year-old, kept in Tucumán hospital for four weeks and denied a legal abortion

Girl, aged 11, raped by 65-year-old, kept in Tucumán hospital for four weeks and denied a legal abortion

5 Mar 2019
International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion

STATEMENT, 27 February 2019, by:

Redaas - Red de Acceso al Aborto Seguro Argentina

ELA - Equipo Latinoamericano de Justicia y Género

CEDES - Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad

In light of what happened in the past month in relation to the request for a legal termination of pregnancy by a girl and her mother due to rape of the girl in the province of Tucumán, Argentina, we condemn the procrastination and systemic delays imposed on this girl by various government agencies, who were responsible for her welfare. The consequence was that she was prevented from having a legal abortion, even though it had been requested it in a timely and clear manner.

The unnecessary intervention of the courts added to the deepening institutional violence that this girl was subjected to. The neglect by the health authorities, throughout the four weeks she was in hospital, was a flagrant violation of her human rights, and a form of cruel and degrading treatment, amounting to torture.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/argentina-girl-aged-11-raped-by-65-year-old-kept-in-tucuman-hospital-for-four-weeks-and-denied-a-legal-abortion/

Developing an Advocacy Agenda for Abortion in the 21st Century and Making Change Happen

Developing an Advocacy Agenda for Abortion in the 21st Century and Making Change Happen

Jan 21, 2019
An International Forum, 5-6-7 September 2018, Lisbon

Introduction
On 5-7 September 2018, the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion hosted an International Forum in Lisbon, Portugal. The aim of the forum was to bring together thought leaders from around the world to examine synergies and discuss how to move global, regional and national work for the right to safe abortion forward.

Some 100 participants from 54 countries attended the Forum. They were abortion rights advocates, health policymakers and professionals, human rights and legal experts, youth activists, researchers, members of civil society organisations and academics. The combination of participants from the grassroots to the UN level secured a dynamic exchange of knowledge and experience.

Continued: https://mailchi.mp/safeabortionwomensright/developing-an-advocacy-agenda-for-abortion-in-the-21st-century-report-of-an-international-forum-lisbon-5-6-7-sept-2018?e=372dd34034

Regional Conference on Bringing the WHO Recommendations on Safe Abortion and Family Planning Closer to Women in Countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia

EASTERN EUROPE / CENTRAL ASIA – Regional Conference on Bringing the WHO Recommendations on Safe Abortion and Family Planning Closer to Women in Countries of Eastern Europe and Central Asia

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
December 18, 2018

Chisinau, Moldova, 15-16 November 2018

Organised by the Reproductive Health Training Centre, Moldova, with support from the Safe Abortion Action Fund

There were 65 participants. The meeting was in Russian with simultaneous translation in English. Participants included health professionals, health policymakers and NGO representatives from 11 counties in the region – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, and Russia.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/eastern-europe-central-asia-regional-conference-on-bringing-the-who-recommendations-on-safe-abortion-and-family-planning-closer-to-women-in-countries-of-eastern-europe-and-central-asia/