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Promoting reproductive rights

Defending reproductive rights

Reproduction is a fundamental experience for the vast majority of humanity. Yet, every year, over half a million women die from complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period.

Additionally, approximately 340 million people contract new sexually transmitted infections each year. Women and adolescents, particularly in developing countries, bear the greatest burden of sexual and reproductive ill-health, making reproductive rights crucial not only for development goals but also as essential human rights.

We need to address head on the systemic gender inequalities that hamper women's empowerment, their health and their options in life, and that prevent redress when their human rights are violated."

Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin, former UNFPA Executive Director

Attaining the goals of sustainable, equitable development requires that individuals are able to exercise control over their sexual and reproductive lives.

This includes the rights to:

  • Reproductive health as a component of overall health, throughout the life cycle, for both men and women
  • Reproductive decision-making, including voluntary choice in marriage, family formation and determination of the number, timing and spacing of one's children and the right to have access to the information and means needed to exercise voluntary choice
  • Equality and equity for men and women, to enable individuals to make free and informed choices in all spheres of life, free from discrimination based on gender
  • Sexual and reproductive security, including freedom from sexual violence and coercion, and the right to privacy.

The role of NHRIs in promoting reproductive rights

National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) are uniquely positioned to advance human rights, particularly in sensitive areas like reproductive rights. They help rights-holders claim their entitlements, monitor and report on rights implementation, educate officials and communities, and sometimes contribute to service delivery.

Recognising the importance of this role, the APF and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) have collaborated in recent years to better integrate reproductive rights into the ongoing work of NHRIs across the region.

This effort began with a comprehensive study in 2011, which examined how 15 APF members addressed reproductive rights, the challenges they faced, and how these rights could be more effectively integrated into their activities.

Building on the findings of this study, the APF and UNFPA co-hosted a workshop in March 2023 to develop an NHRI Advocacy Action Plan on reproductive rights in the Asia Pacific region. Sixteen participants from 11 NHRIs took part in this online workshop, which focused on implementing the study’s recommendations.

The workshop allowed participants to refine the Advocacy Action Plan, which includes targeted activities and indicators for capacity building, investigations, awareness-raising, legal and policy review, and monitoring. This plan will guide NHRIs as they intensify their efforts to promote and protect sexual and reproductive health rights throughout the region.

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