2017 Vol. 5 Iss. 1 Vietnam Journal of Public Health - www.vjph.vn 3
REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS IN THE GENDER LENS
Thein Thein Htay
Two years ago, the world leaders adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the United Nations S ustainable Development Summit. The achieving gender equality and empower all women and girls became one of the goals (Goal 5) among 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, fi ght inequality and injustice, and tackle climate change by 2030. The goal has rooted its principles to end all forms of discrimination, violence, traffi cking, and all harm practices and to ensure women’s full and effective participation for leadership in all major fronts especially in the areas of sexuality and reproduction. Most importantly, the goal was connected to the universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights in accordance with the ICPD’s POA and the Beijing Platform for Action. We have witnessed for decades that primary health care is the most fundamental and best route to universal access that can ensure sustainable improvements in
health outcomes in the mode of fairness.
The affi rmation of consistencies among core elements of primary health care towards MDGs and now SDGs has highlighted its signifi cance in the development agenda. A series of APCRSHR has carried along this unfi nished agenda since the fi rst APCRSHR of 2001 in Manila and now in the 9th conference in Vietnam, we continue to shed the limelight on this issue again. It has been nearly a quarter century after 1994, however the development approaches in the areas of Sexual and Reproductive Health & Rights (SRHR) in the case of Asia Pacifi c Region, are not having the desired effects yet. Now is the time of assiduous action and persistent effort by all of us with a strong commitment in reproductive health and rights. Fortunately, the enabling information technology provides us with a positive push in raising social awareness aiming to promote the women’s empowerment and we must seize this opportunity. Since ICPD+5, governments
* Corresponding author: Former Deputy Minister for Health in Myanmar, International Steering Committee member of 9th Asia – Pacific Conference On Reproductive and Sexual Health and Rights, Email: [email protected]
COMMENTARY
Anh - Vol 5 iss 1 Nov 2017.indd 3
Anh - Vol 5 iss 1 Nov 2017.indd 3 11/23/2017 9:37:11 PM11/23/2017 9:37:11 PM
4 Vietnam Journal of Public Health - www.vjph.vn 2017 Vol. 5 Iss. 1
were suggested to ensure social justice as vital requirements in which diligent political will and steadfast leadership with sturdy accountability are parts of it. Mainstreaming gender requires tangible actions to remove inequalities in our policies and practices for reproductive health and rights. While reproductive rights have been generally recognized as women’s right especially for abortion, VAW and gender-based violence, reproduction and other reproductive matters of girls and women, men’s reproductive rights also need to be certainly enveloped. The reproductive rights of both men and women include their rights to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality through their equal relationships and gender-balanced manner, which is free of discrimination and violence.
Various agencies have addressed the issues of gender-based violence in attaining reproductive rights over the decades. Equality and equity for men and women is the key to enable individuals to make free and informed choices in all spheres of life, free from discrimination based on gender and sexual and reproductive security, including freedom from sexual violence and coercion as part of achieving reproductive rights. Gender and Reproductive Rights (GRR) aspires to uphold and shield human rights and gender equality as they relate to sexual and reproductive health.
As the World Health Organization defi ned, the reproductive rights depend on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals
to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. In fact, reproductive rights are lawful rights and autonomy concerning to reproduction and reproductive health, which usually diverge amid countries within the context of their given socio-cultural beliefs. Any sustainable system needs to take into account the lifestyles, beliefs and socio- cultural practices that shape the people’s perception of health. Many of times, we may focus on the optimum requirements to ensure SRHR while overlooking the interactions among all these factors. It needs to remember that one size doesn’t fi t all and fi nding local solutions should be done through locally driven interventions. All these points needs to be applied in ensuring reproductive health and rights through gender lens.
Now we have a golden opportunity as the 9th APCRSHR will embrace all these issues in terms of religion, cultural norms and practices, transgender, men’s health and involvement, LBGT and sexual health, VAW and sexual violence, disability and SRHR, legal and governance measures, laws and policies, inclusive and gender-responsive CSE and gender equity and women’s empowerment through various channels of exposition for the scientifi c and programmatic research papers.
We do hope for the brighter future in securing reproductive rights through gender lens.
Thein Thein Htay
Anh - Vol 5 iss 1 Nov 2017.indd 4
Anh - Vol 5 iss 1 Nov 2017.indd 4 11/23/2017 9:37:11 PM11/23/2017 9:37:11 PM
