Women and Human RightsWomen and Human Rights

Presented by Rebecca AustenPresented by Rebecca Austen

Director of AdvocacyDirector of Advocacy

World Youth AllianceWorld Youth Alliance

WYA’s Declaration on WYA’s Declaration on WomenWomen

Do women have special needs or Do women have special needs or rights?rights?

Motherhood is a continual invitation to Motherhood is a continual invitation to self-giftself-gift

Maternal healthcareMaternal healthcare Infrastructure and laws that support Infrastructure and laws that support

the family and motherhoodthe family and motherhood

UN’s Approach to Women’s UN’s Approach to Women’s Rights (The Gender Agenda) Rights (The Gender Agenda) Gender agenda couches the Gender agenda couches the

population control agenda and population control agenda and reproductive rights agendareproductive rights agenda

Agenda is built on the philosophy of being Agenda is built on the philosophy of being autonomous, white males – this is the only autonomous, white males – this is the only way to have powerway to have power

Women will never be able to be Women will never be able to be autonomous white malesautonomous white males

UN’s Approach cont’dUN’s Approach cont’d

Fertility is seen as a hindrance to full Fertility is seen as a hindrance to full equality with men. equality with men.

Gender as a social construct, not a Gender as a social construct, not a biological reality. The goal is to remove biological reality. The goal is to remove this social construct and create unisex this social construct and create unisex societies. There are multiple genders. societies. There are multiple genders. Question: If gender is not a biological Question: If gender is not a biological

construct, why do women need special construct, why do women need special rights? rights?

Millennium Development Millennium Development GoalsGoals

8 Goals to be achieved by 2015 – agreed 8 Goals to be achieved by 2015 – agreed to by the international community in 2000to by the international community in 2000

Eradicate extreme poverty and hungerEradicate extreme poverty and hunger Achieve Universal Primary EducationAchieve Universal Primary Education Promote gender equality and empower womenPromote gender equality and empower women Reduce child mortalityReduce child mortality Improve maternal healthImprove maternal health Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseasesCombat HIV/AIDS, Malaria and other diseases Ensure environmental sustainabilityEnsure environmental sustainability Develop a global partnership for developmentDevelop a global partnership for development

MDG’s cont’dMDG’s cont’d

Good initiative indicating cooperation Good initiative indicating cooperation and concern for the basic needs of and concern for the basic needs of the world’s population. It includes the world’s population. It includes concrete goals and indicators to concrete goals and indicators to determine success/failure.determine success/failure.

MDG 5 cont’dMDG 5 cont’d

““Maternal deaths are rooted in Maternal deaths are rooted in women’s powerlessness and their women’s powerlessness and their unequal access to employment, unequal access to employment, finances, education, basic health finances, education, basic health care and other resources.” (Safe care and other resources.” (Safe Motherhood Initiative)Motherhood Initiative) Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy and Prevent Unwanted Pregnancy and

Address Unsafe AbortionAddress Unsafe Abortion Availability of contraception, abortion, Availability of contraception, abortion,

especially non-surgical abortionespecially non-surgical abortion

MDG 5 cont’dMDG 5 cont’d

Reproductive rights Reproductive rights are the key strategy are the key strategy for achieving MDG 5 for achieving MDG 5 and all the MDGsand all the MDGs As a result, real As a result, real

maternal health needs maternal health needs are often pushed to are often pushed to the sidethe side

Fertility reduction programs as Fertility reduction programs as a response to MDG 5a response to MDG 5

UDHR – right to found family, UDHR – right to found family, determine number and spacing of determine number and spacing of children children

Nothing or little is being done to further or Nothing or little is being done to further or implement this right; rather, energies are implement this right; rather, energies are being spent to promote reduced family being spent to promote reduced family size.size.

Reproductive rights are seen as the key to Reproductive rights are seen as the key to having the right to life and liberty of having the right to life and liberty of women respected.women respected.

Fertility Reduction cont’dFertility Reduction cont’d

Too often there are more resources Too often there are more resources available to have an abortion than available to have an abortion than there are to safely deliver a child. there are to safely deliver a child.

Focus on abortion overshadows social Focus on abortion overshadows social and political needs of women, as well and political needs of women, as well as underlying causes that lead women as underlying causes that lead women to choose abortion. to choose abortion.

Often fertility reduction programs are Often fertility reduction programs are actually or socially coercive (promotion actually or socially coercive (promotion of an ideal family size)of an ideal family size)

WYA’s ApproachWYA’s Approach

Gender is a biological reality, not a Gender is a biological reality, not a social constructsocial construct

Therefore, women do have special needs Therefore, women do have special needs and require safeguardingand require safeguarding

Family builds solidarity and creates a Family builds solidarity and creates a framework in which women can framework in which women can achieve goals, receive empowerment achieve goals, receive empowerment and have their unique gifts fosteredand have their unique gifts fostered

WYA’s Approach cont’dWYA’s Approach cont’d

Legislation should address the Legislation should address the concerns which are the most concerns which are the most important to women themselvesimportant to women themselves

Women have gifts and natural Women have gifts and natural capacities that are unique. capacities that are unique.

Intrinsic, authentic development requires Intrinsic, authentic development requires celebration of capacity for motherhoodcelebration of capacity for motherhood

Celebration of difference between the Celebration of difference between the sexessexes

Interactive (Small Groups)Interactive (Small Groups)

Hand outs: WYA Declaration on Hand outs: WYA Declaration on Women, a copy of MDG 5 and the Women, a copy of MDG 5 and the UNFPA interpretation of MDG 5UNFPA interpretation of MDG 5

Does current UNFPA language reflect Does current UNFPA language reflect the reality of women’s lives?the reality of women’s lives?

What is the alternative to what is What is the alternative to what is discussed in current policy debates?discussed in current policy debates?