Sexual and reproductive health and rights encompass a wide variety of issues that pose difficult challenges for women and adolescents around the world, especially in developing countries. Addressing these health issues is urgent. Girls are becoming mothers before reaching secondary school. Sexually transmitted infections like HIV/AIDS are spreading. Mothers are dying in childbirth. Gender-based violence persists. There are evidence-based answers to these problems and now is the time to advocate for them.
Our work on sexual and reproductive health and rights is led by our student Sex & Justice Campaign Team. Find out more about their priorities for 2011-12 below.
Why we should care:
It is unacceptable to stand by while women die in childbirth because there are no health workers to help her through a difficult pregnancy. It is unacceptable that young people comprise half of new HIV infections. And it is unacceptable that girls who have not had the chance to finish primary school are getting married and becoming mothers before they are ready.
We must stand in solidarity with young people across the globe who do not have the same access, information and resources as we do in developed countries. Sexual and reproductive health and rights are essential for living up to our full potential as humans. We must be the voice for those who do not have access to the information and services they need. It is our job to ensure our government supports efforts to secure sexual and reproductive rights.
How is the issue being addressed?
- US funding for international programs on family planning, comprehensive sex education and the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS is vital for continued progress toward sexual and reproductive health targets. The US is a major contributor to these programs, however, in tough economic times, politicians in the US are focusing on domestic issues and are looking for ways to cut government spending. International health programs, especially in sexual and reproductive health, are easy targets for funding cuts. However, global health spending comprises only one percent of the total federal budget and will not make a significant contribution to decreasing the deficit if cut. Sustained support for evidence-based health programs is necessary to achieve global targets and achieve health for all.
- CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 1979. This convention calls for equal access and opportunities for women and men. It also stresses that women have the same human rights and fundamental freedoms as men. One hundred eighty-seven of 193 UN countries have ratified CEDAW. The seven countries that have not ratified include the United States, Sudan, Somalia, Iran, Nauru, Palau and Tonga.
- International Violence against Women Act (I-VAWA, H.R. 4594, S. 2982) was introduced in February 2010 but was defeated. However, many organizations including Women Thrive Worldwide, Amnesty International and Women for Women International still support and push for this legislation.
- The International Protecting Girls by Preventing Child Marriage Act of 2010 (S. 987). This act works to prevent child marriage in developing countries and to protect young girls at risk of child marriage through educational and economic empowerment. It also requires that statistics on child marriage be included in the Department of State country reports on human rights. Although it was defeated in the House in December 2010, advocates are still building support for this type of legislation.
Take Action
This fall, debates over the 2012 budget and the national debt make it difficult to gain progress on many of the items above. The most important focus now is maintaining funding for global health. Funding for international programs on family planning, comprehensive sex education and the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS is vital for continued progress toward sexual and reproductive health targets. The US is a major contributor to these programs, however, in tough economic times, politicians in the US are focusing on domestic issues and are looking for ways to cut government spending. International health programs, especially in sexual and reproductive health, are easy targets for funding cuts. However, global health spending comprises only one percent of the total federal budget and will not make a significant contribution to decreasing the deficit if cut. Sustained support for evidence-based health programs is necessary to achieve global targets and achieve health for all.
This year the AIDemocracy Sex & Justice Team is focusing on:
- funding for global health
- protecting funding for UNFPA, the United Nations Family Planning Association
- repealing the Global Gag Rule
Get involved! Join the conversation on our blog. Host an event or run a campaign on your campus. Speak to your decision-makers. Find our more on our Take Action! page. We accept applications for our Sex & Justice Campaign Team on an ongoing basis. Find out more on our Opportunities page.
