Today and every day, sexual and reproductive health and rights are human rights.
New York, NY —December 10 marks Human Rights Day, a day to celebrate our collective progress and reflect on the work still to be done to protect all human rights for all people everywhere. This day also marks the conclusion of this year’s 16 Days of Activism against Gender-based Violence, an annual campaign engaged in by feminist and women’s movements and other stakeholders spearheaded for more than 30 years by UN Women to address one of the most pervasive global human rights crises of our time: gender-based violence (GBV).
The right of women, girls, and gender-diverse people to live free from GBV is integral and interdependent on all other human rights. Fòs Feminista participated in this critical campaign by speaking out against GBV in solidarity with feminists everywhere and by uplifting the nuanced experiences of victims and survivors, especially those who are subjected to multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination.
To mark Human Rights Day and reflect on this year’s 16 Days of Activism, Fadekemi (Kemi) Akinfaderin, the Chief Global Advocacy Officer at Fòs Feminista, issued the following statement:
“Today and every day, we recognize that sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice (SRHRJ) are human rights — full stop. This fundamental human right encompasses the full spectrum of care, support, and protection required to guarantee bodily autonomy, freedom, and safety for everybody everywhere.
“In solemn solidarity with those who have endured any aspect of GBV, we recognize that true security requires freedom in the broadest sense of the word. The freedom we seek is inclusive of freedom from violence and discrimination but far more expansive. As we push forward, we demand, for example, the freedom to access comprehensive sexual education because we know it can be a tool in eliminating traditional gender norms that are at the core of GBV. As we demand action from governments at all levels that eliminates GBV and guarantees access to services for victims and survivors, we also demand the freedom to safely and consistently access all SRHR services, such as HIV/AIDS treatment, STI testing, and contraception. Because what value do I derive from a right that I do not know exists? What value is a right that I cannot access without the threat of violence?
“As the world watches in awe the bravery of Iranian feminists rising up for bodily autonomy, freedom and safety, we also cannot ignore the GBV that takes place at the hand of the state in ways both direct and indirect. Iranian leadership is by no means alone in its capacity to perpetuate violence and discrimination against women, girls, and gender-diverse people ; the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war in Ukraine, abortion restrictions in Poland, and policies banning medical care for transgender youth in the United States each reflect a form of gendered, state-sanctioned violence and discrimination. Anywhere and everywhere it occurs, the codification of anti-feminist ideas emboldens those capable of dangerous and potentially violent actions that undermine the safety of women, girls, and gender-diverse people.
“In community with a network of audacious, brave, unwavering feminists across the world, Fòs Feminista continues the fight to promote sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice as part of fundamental human rights of all. We continue the fight to ensure that women, girls, and gender diverse people live free from gender-based violence everywhere and to hold governments from around the world accountable to their obligations to guarantee that the right to live free of gender-based violence is a reality for all no matter where in the world we live in.”
Fòs Feminista is an international feminist alliance centered around sexual and reproductive health, rights, and justice for women, girls, and gender-diverse people. Together with more than 220 organizations in 40 countries worldwide, we engage in healthcare, education, and advocacy to advance our agenda. This includes providing sexual and reproductive health services and implementing community-based strategies that make sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible to women, girls, and others at the margins. We also engage young people with comprehensive sexuality education and provide care to survivors of gender-based violence. We stand alongside our partners in the streets, in the courts, and in other advocacy spaces as an unapologetically feminist voice, resisting injustice and advocating for gender equality and reproductive rights locally and globally.
Contact: mboldt@mrss.com
