Penny Mordaunt says UK will defend abortion rights amid global pushback

Penny Mordaunt says UK will defend abortion rights amid global pushback
Development secretary vows government will ‘hold a strong line’, after attempts by Trump administration to weaken commitments

Liz Ford
Tue 9 Apr 2019

Britain’s international development secretary has promised to stand firm in her support for abortion rights in the face of growing opposition.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Canadian embassy on Monday, Penny Mordaunt said: “Leadership means not shying away from issues like safe abortion when the evidence shows us these services will save women’s lives.”

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2019/apr/09/penny-mordaunt-says-uk-will-defend-abortion-rights-amid-global-pushback-trump

Right to abortion: Minister to take Brussels Declaration to UN

Right to abortion: Minister to take Brussels Declaration to UN

Friday, 15 February 2019

The Minister-President of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, Rudy Demotte, is due from 10 to 14 March to go to New York.

The trip is with a view to taking the Brussels Declaration, which in particular is calling for legalizing abortion (in French-speaking Belgium called IVG), at the 63rd UN Commission on the Status of Women, said his department on Thursday.

Continued: http://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/14096/right-to-abortion-demotte-will-take-brussels-declaration-to-un-at-beginning-of-march

A Time to Lead: A Roadmap for Progress on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Worldwide

A Time to Lead: A Roadmap for Progress on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Worldwide

Jesseca Boyer, Guttmacher Institute
First published online: September 24, 2018

HIGHLIGHTS

Gaps in sexual and reproductive health and rights take an enormous toll on individuals, families, communities and economies around the world.
Addressing these gaps requires a holistic approach that encompasses the right of all individuals to make decisions about their bodies and lives—free of stigma, discrimination and coercion—and to have access to essential sexual and reproductive health interventions.
The Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights provides a groundbreaking definition of sexual and reproductive health and rights and describes an essential package of interventions, together offering a pathway for countries around the world to support the needs of all people.
The Trump administration’s ideologically motivated agenda both at home and abroad cedes decades of U.S. leadership in advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/gpr/2018/09/time-lead-roadmap-progress-sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights-worldwide

Trump visit to the UK: How about working together on women’s rights?

Trump visit to the UK: How about working together on women’s rights?
by Katherine Nightingale
12th Jul 2018

When Theresa May welcomes Trump this week it seems like she won’t be short of conversation: there’s the World Cup, Brexit, and NATO before we even start. But with hundreds of thousands of people from all over the UK coming to join the Women’s March this Friday, a clear message is that women’s rights should be on the agenda.

Chances are, time will be short. So if that means there is only one issue Theresa May can champion with Donald Trump, we think it should be to look together at how the UK and US governments could support sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for women and families worldwide, especially in emergencies. So whilst some might think there is no common ground, here is my take on the key messages:

Continued: https://insights.careinternational.org.uk/development-blog/trump-visit-to-the-uk-how-about-working-together-on-women-s-rights

In Closed-Door UN Meetings, Trump Administration Officials Pushed Abstinence For International Women’s Health Programs

In Closed-Door UN Meetings, Trump Administration Officials Pushed Abstinence For International Women’s Health Programs

Members of HHS, USAID, and the US Mission to the UN asked for references to contraception, abortion, and comprehensive sex education to be struck from a document on international gender equality, calling the US a "pro-life nation."

April 17, 2018
Ema O'Connor, BuzzFeed News Reporter

In closed-door meetings at the United Nations in March, Trump administration officials pushed socially conservative views on women’s rights issues — including abstinence-based policies over information about contraception — that were further to the right than those expressed by most other countries present, including Russia and the representative for the Arab states, UN officials who attended the meetings told BuzzFeed News.

The Trump officials’ approach at the UN meeting makes it clear that the administration intends to extend its views on abortion, contraception, and sexual education beyond US borders to an extent that is unusual even for Republican administrations.

continued: https://www.buzzfeed.com/emaoconnor/un-meeting-trump-administration-abstinence?utm_term=.nyJLW2dpq#.qy9Yw78QE