General News
Issues Paper: The Sexual and Reproductive Rights of Women and Girls with Disabilities
Sexual and reproductive rights are fundamental human rights. They embrace human rights that are already recognised in international, regional and national legal frameworks, standards and agreements.1 They include the right to autonomy and self-determination โ the right of everyone to make free and informed decisions and have full control over their body, sexuality, health, relationships, and if, when and with whom to partner, marry and have children - without any form of discrimination, stigma, coercion or violence. This includes the right of everyone to enjoy and express their sexuality, be free from interference in making personal decisions about sexuality and reproductive matters, and to access sexual and reproductive health information, education, services and support. It also includes the right to be free from torture and from cruel, inhumane or degrading treatment or punishment; and to be free from violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect.
However, women and girls with disabilities throughout the world have failed to be afforded, or benefit from, these provisions in international, regional and national legal frameworks, standards and agreements. Instead, systemic prejudice and discrimination against them continues to result in multiple and extreme violations of their sexual and reproductive rights, through practices such as forced and/or coerced sterilisation, forced contraception and/or limited or no contraceptive choices, a focus on menstrual and sexual suppression, poorly managed pregnancy and birth, forced or coerced abortion, termination of parental rights, denial of/or forced marriage, and other forms of torture and violence, including gender-based violence. They also experience systemic exclusion from sexual and reproductive health care services. These practices and violations are framed within traditional social attitudes and entrenched disability-based and gender-based stereotypes that continue to characterise disability as a personal tragedy, a burden and/or a matter for medical management and rehabilitation.
Download the paper from the link below.
Additional Information
Country: Afghanistan
Website: http://db.tt/f28NMq9V
Email: N/A
Phone: N/A
Contact Person: N/A
Source: Carolyn Frohmader and Stephanie Ortoleva
When: 21/7/2013
