Center for Reproductive Rights

This document contains a series of fact sheets on the progress that states have made with respect to human rights since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. The fact sheets examine the extent to which the goals laid out in the Programme of Action have been realized, with brief overviews of the following areas: maternal mortality and morbidity; contraceptive information and services; abortion; sexual and reproductive health education and information; the situation of adolescents and youth; the situation of individuals

This document explores the consequences of violence - including sexual, partner, and institutional violence - on women's reproductive and sexual health. Focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, the authors show how access to reproductive health services and to information concerning reproductive health are necessary to a womans full enjoyment of her human rights. They also demonstrate how violence can be an obstacle to many women's access to reproductive health. Reproductive health is said to implicate the human rights to health, life, non-

This article concerns the emergence of retrogressive laws and policies concerning access to abortion in many Central and Eastern European countries. While many of these countries were among the first to legalize abortion and to make it available in a wide variety of circumstances, there has been a surge in restrictive legislation across Central and Eastern Europe. Such legislation often imposes mandatory waiting periods and biased counselling and information requirements on people seeking abortions. The article discusses the deleterious effects of such

This document provides a comprehensive toolkit to understand how states can protect the value of prenatal life while respecting womens fundamental rights. The toolkit sets out international and comparative legal standards for interpreting right to life protections, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the European Convention on Human Rights. The toolkit also identifies how relevant human rights, public health, and scientific evidence support legal protections to guarantee

This report begins by outlining the causes of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity including the "three delays model" (delay in deciding to seek health care, and in reaching and waiting at the health care centre) and social and economic factors. It then summarizes international human rights obligations that intersect with the right to safe pregnancy and childbirth, including resolutions passed by the UN Human Rights Council and obligations under the Millennium Development Goals. The report next gives a broad overview of regional efforts to improve maternal health, and

The document provides a list of legal reforms relating to abortion instituted in various countries since the 1994 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. The vast majority of the legal reforms have broadened the circumstances under which abortion is legal, but there are some countries which have taken steps to legally restrict access to abortion. The article begins with the list of countries that have liberalized their abortion laws nation-wide, followed by the countries that have liberalized their abortion laws in

This briefing paper outlines the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, which was ratified by 15 African governments in 2005. The protocol calls for broad protection for womens human rights, including their sexual and reproductive rights. Concrete suggestions are offered for womens health and rights advocates within and beyond Africa. Detailed information is also provided to help African women use the protocol to exercise their reproductive rights, as well as suggestions for governments to implement the protocols landmark provisions.

This resource is a guide for advocates working to stop FGM, intended to assist with engaging governments by holding them accountable under international human rights law. Characterizing FGM as a violation of the human rights of women and girls has significant consequences for both NGOs and governments.

This paper includes a section (see page 5) on the right to marry and found a family, listing the applicable international human rights law sources and international consensus documents. The paper also provides examples of national laws and policies that serve to violate the human rights of disabled women. [Descriptors: Marriage - International]