The Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health has released a new report entitled “Sexual and reproductive health rights: challenges and opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic”. Adopting the standpoint that patriarchal oppression is universal and at the origin of control of women’s bodies and sexuality, the SR examines the multifaceted historical impact of colonialism on these rights. She reflects on the importance of the underlying and social determinants of health and substantive equality for the realization of SRHR, with a focus on the right to SRH as an integral part of the right to health.
The Special Rapporteur demonstrates how the COVID-19 pandemic has further thwarted the realization of the SRHR of women, adolescents, girls and all persons capable of getting pregnant. Within an intersectionality framework, she examines the impact of legislation and policy, services and funding in maternal, new-born and child health services, family planning and contraception, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, comprehensive support for sexual and gender–based violence survivors, HIV/AIDS and reproductive cancers. She identifies the important positive opportunities that are offered by digital health if the digital global and gender divide is breached.
APA and FP NZ made submissions to the report, find them here.
Download the pdf for the full report.
