Transcript Geboortelijkheid - XVIII International AIDS Conference, 2010

Why leadership on women's
rights in the context of
HIV/AIDS, and on SRHR is
important, what barriers exist
and how they can be overcome
Marleen Temmerman, MD, PhD, MP
Vienna 21 july 2010
Sexual and reproductive rights still
under threat
• Sexual and reproductive rights are under threat
worldwide. In some countries in Europe,
pressure from conservative and religious groups
has reduced access to essential health services,
especially for the poor and migrant populations.
• There is too little quality sex education and
access to family planning to prevent unwanted
pregnancies/abortions. In countries where
access to abortions is severely restricted the
number of unsafe abortions is hugh and still
rising.
Sexual and reproductive rights still
under threat
• Female migrants face added difficulties. They
have fewer channels through which to migrate
legally to the EU than men. Fear of deportation
and economic vulnerability leave undocumented
migrant women more exposed to sexual and
domestic violence.
• Sexual and Reproductive Rights are being
violated worldwide. A transformation of social
norms should be embedded at all levels of
society. Also men and boys should be engaged
to work towards gender equality.
What can Parliaments do?
• To start with, Parliamentarians have an important role in
initiating this debate in their countries and to fight
ignorance, stigma and discrimination
• MPs can start or strengthen women's rights and gender
committees in Parliament.
• MPs should take the lead on topics such as sexual and
reproductive rights, pass laws against oa violence,
female genital mutilation, discrimination, for equal pay
and rights of migrant women, as the Parliament has the
power to legislate
• Parliament can control government budgets and fight for
local and global solidarity (education/health..)
What can Parliaments do?
• The European Parliament can use its budgetary
and policy powers, which will increase if the
Lisbon treaty is ratified, to make sure women's
rights are fully incorporated into the EU's social
policies, the Stockholm programme and the
common European asylum system.
• It can advocate the inclusion of women's rights
in labour laws and education policies. The EU
does not have the mandate to judge any
country's abortion legislation, but it can ensure
that there is no discrimination in access to
healthcare.
Some good examples/best practices
• ‘ If the pandemic is being feminized, so should
the solutions. There is a need for greater
political leadership in the response to the
HIV/AIDS pandemic and few are as well-placed
to provide it as members of parliament’ (IPU
AIDS Conf Mexico 2008)
• Taking Action against HIV and AIDS; Handbook
for Parliamentarians (IPU-UNAIDS-UNDP)
Maternal Mortality in Mozambique
• It is estimated that thousands of women die or suffer
serious complications every year as a result of trying to
abort at the hands of an untrained health provider in
unhygienic conditions.
• Civil society and parliamentarians passed the message
to the Govt and to the President that 11 women are
dying per day of maternal causes, mostly illegal abortion.
• The Mozambican government is reviewing the country's
abortion ban and likely will submit legislation that would
change the law after the country's parliament
reconvenes in October
MSM in Kenya
• Recently, public health authorities, civil
society and political leaders discussed the
issue of the public health effects of
withholding access to reproductive health
care of homosexual men and MSM.
• Debate will be initiated in Parliament about
rights and discrimination
Senegal
• Parliamentarians in Senegal are reviewing
their laws and legislation for gender
aspects and discrimination
Barriers and
how to overcome them
• Barriers are many, difficult topics often not
popular
• Active support of the community, explain,
educate, argue, stand for the cause..
• Public health approach: insist on negative
impact on public health if sexual and
reproductive health and rights endangered
Mothernight
• Initative of the Belgian Parliamentary
group for the MDGs
• Aims:
– to raise attention for the problem of maternal
mortality worldwide
– by sensitising the public and
– calling upon our govt to raise funds for
mother-child health
Painted Pregnant Women Reveal Shocking Statistics for International Women's
Day
Yes, we can, if we care!
“ It takes two to make a child but a village to
raise a child”. We are all part of that global
village!