Rachel Rebouché & Adrienne Ghorashi Over the last six weeks, abortion access in the state of Texas has been unclear at best and unavailable at worst. Dueling court orders between a federal trial court and the region’s federal appeals court lifted the suspension of almost all abortions – deemed by the state as “non-essential” healthcare […]
On Thursday 16 January 2020 SRHM held a webinar to discuss a new wave of anti-abortion strategy and tactics that has been sweeping across the United States and has begun influencing anti-abortion strategy globally. In this webinar, we welcomed Dabney Evans and Subasri Narasimhan to introduce their paper, “A narrative analysis of anti-abortion testimony and legislative debate […]
Press release by Taylor and Francis New research launches as state legislatures begin reconvening where bans are likely to be introduced Anti-abortionists ‘appropriating’ laws that protect same-sex couples and Black citizens Pro-lifers are using civil rights protections to lobby against early abortions, according to research published in the peer-reviewed journal Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters. The […]
Written by: Soukeyna Diallo, Juriste, Member, Comité de plaidoyer pour l’accès à l’avortement médicalisé, and l’Association des Juristes Sénégalaises; Heidi Moseson, Epidemiologist & Associate, Ibis Reproductive Health Ramatou Ouedraogo, Post-doctoral research scholar/Anthropologist, African Population Health Research Center Amy Sakho, Chargée de Programmes et de Communication, Association des Juristes Sénégalaises; Coordonnatrice, Comité de plaidoyer pour l’accès […]
Rights and evidence-based knowledge on safe abortion matters! In light of recent attacks around the globe on the availability of legal and safe abortion services and in the contexts of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) agenda, pursuing the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, and reflecting on the implementation of the Programme of Action of the […]
On Tuesday 8 October 2019 SRHM held a webinar to discuss the gender injustice perspectives of criminal abortion laws, the importance of using public health evidence in challenging criminalization of abortion, and exploring ways to connect these important discourses to the universal health coverage (UHC) agenda. We welcomed the authors of two important […]
We are very grateful to Liza Caruana-Finkel for collaborating on this blog post. Liza is a sexual and reproductive health and rights researcher and activist currently based in the UK. Rights and evidence-based knowledge on safe abortion matters! The 28th of September is International Safe Abortion Day. It is a day of action: when […]
Bhekisisa Health Inside the illegal abortion market: ‘I nearly touched hell’ By Wendy Muperi Zimbabwe’s tight abortion laws aren’t curbing demand, they’re driving them underground — and it’s about to get worse. SRHM article, Perceptions of misoprostol among providers and women seeking post-abortion care in Zimbabwe by M Catherine Maternowska, Alexio Mashu, Precious Moyo, et […]
Written by Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng: Abortion provider for 11 years, consultant at Nalane for Reproductive Justice and SRHR expert with a focus on policy, health communications and advocacy. It is 2:14 a.m. on a Friday. I receive an email, with the subject line “Please respond” written in capital letters. I read the body of the email and […]
“Even after years of liberal and socially accepted legislation, Poland illustrates how the issue of abortion and legal restrictions can repeatedly resurface. In 1932, Poland was the second country in the world after the Soviet Union, which legalised abortion if there was danger to the life or health of the woman, incest or rape.” Source: […]
After six failed attempts to make the Congress debate a bill to decriminalize and legalize abortion on request until the 14th week of gestation, a bill is finally being debated. Read more Source: reprohealthlaw blog
In 2017, the Constitutional Court of Chile upheld the constitutionality of new government legislation that would remove the criminal prohibition on procuring an abortion on three grounds: when there is imminent risk to the life of the mother, in case of fatal fetal disease, and in cases of rape. The new English translation is available […]
RHM endorsed a letter to President Bachelet, Nueva Mayoria Coalition, and Chilean Congress from Corporación Humanas, Amnesty International Chile, Observatorio de Género y Equidad, Fondo Alquimia, APROFA, Centro Estudios de la Mujer, Corporación MILES, Corporación Mujeres Lideres para Chile, Fundación Iguales, Instituto de la Mujer, Instituto Igualdad, Observatorio contra el Acoso Callejero, Revolución Democrática, and Colectivo Lemebel […]
A guest blog by Marge Berer, Coordinator of the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion The Planned Parenthood Federation of America (PPFA) clinic in Colorado Springs, USA, provides cancer screening, STD tests and treatment, breast exams, contraception and abortion, mostly to women. On 27 November an armed gunman entered the clinic, apparently walking […]
A guest post by Marge Berer Co-ordinator International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion originally posted on the Berer Blog Taking medical abortion pills at home to have an abortion, mostly before ten weeks of pregnancy, though not always, is happening in most countries across the world, and each year more than ever. It is […]
A guest blog post by Dr Ruth Fletcher r.fletcher[at]qmul.ac.uk “First, and perhaps most importantly, we were determined to design a law that would regulate abortion in Ireland by primary reference to the bodily integrity, welfare, agency, autonomy and self-determination of pregnant women” On 29th June @feministsatlaw, an open access journal, published draft abortion legislation for […]
Kerigo Odada is a human rights lawyer based in South Africa, specialising in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Africa at the Centre for Human Rights-University of Pretoria. She currently serves as a Board Member of The Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights The Novel Coronavirus, known as COVID -19 has disrupted […]
Editorial COVID-19: What implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights globally? Julia Hussein Commentaries Abortion in the context of COVID-19: a human rights imperative Jaime Todd-Gher & Payal K Shah The reproductive health fall-out of a global pandemic Julie G Thorne, Marie Buitendyk, Righa Wawuda, Brianne Lewis,Caitlin Bernard & Rachel F. Spitzer Perspectives from […]
Written by Shreshtha Das, Consultant for SRHM Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM, formerly Reproductive Health Matters) has long been considered as a truly global open access peer-reviewed Journal. It has, however, always been much more than a journal. A broader commitment has been manifested in the translation of selected papers into seven language editions […]
Written by Christina Zampas, human rights lawyer and Associate Director of Global Advocacy at the Center for Reproductive Rights Barriers to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services have always existed but the Covid-19 pandemic has brought to the fore the stark reality of these barriers. The general population across the globe is now experiencing what […]
On Friday 27 March 2020, SRHM hosted a webinar on the implications for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in the era of Covid-19. We were moved by the coming together of the SRHR community during this time to discuss the situations being faced by vulnerable and key populations and the actions that are […]
Written by Sarah Pugh, Independent Consultant, Cape Town, South Africa On Sunday, 15 March, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa declared a national State of Disaster, encompassing measures such as visa bans, travel restrictions, school closures and the restriction of gatherings over 100 people. The first case of the novel coronavirus Covid-19 was reported on 5 […]
An Open Call for Papers SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 SRHM Open Issue The coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) will affect aspects of our lives, all over the world, in many ways. As the coming weeks and months unfold, we will begin to understand better the impacts and effective […]
SRHM has undertaken an initiative to create a South Asia regional hub to advance SRHR rights and generate evidence-based knowledge from five countries namely; India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. The hub aims to bring together SRHR organisations, practitioners, researchers, academics and advocates, government champions, youth leaders and other key stakeholders who are committed […]
The International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo in 1994 agreed to a visionary Programme of Action that was well ahead of its time. Women’s human rights advocates were the drivers of this paradigm shift, and since that time, have been the torch bearers of the ICPD Programme of Action. Together with supportive […]
“Women’s rights are human rights. This includes sexual and reproductive rights — and the right to access safe and legal abortions.” Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy Unsafe abortion is one of the top causes of global maternal mortality, and it is entirely preventable. Every year, there are more than 25 million unsafe abortions, resulting in […]
It has been a year of significant achievements for SRHM and for the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) community as a whole. Along with the SRHR community, in 2019 we commemorated the 25th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development, culminating in the Nairobi ICPD25 summit in November. We acknowledge and […]
On Human Rights Day 2019, SRHM is calling for a greater sense of accountability for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all, backed by a growing research and evidence base on gender equality and human rights. Together we can further advance a progressive SRHR agenda, providing the greatest hope and a powerful bulwark […]
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and runs until 10 December, Human Rights Day. The extent of violence against women and girls across the world is alarming and is […]
THE BMJ OPINION Domestic political alliances with conservative forces in the US is costing women their health at home and abroad The Trump administration’s ideological commitment to the domestic anti-abortion lobby is endangering women across the Americas, say Hani Serag et al SRHM article, Power and Politics in International Funding for Reproductive Health: the […]
Eszter Kismődi, Chief Executive of Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) interviews Mindy Roseman, Director of International Law Programs and Director of the Gruber Program for Global Justice and Women’s Rights at Yale Law, and SRHM associate editor, about her new book, Beyond Virtue and Vice: Rethinking Human Rights and Criminal Law. The book engages […]
Each year, the number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies continues to increase. Addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs of people affected by such emergencies is a global issue of critical importance. The respect, protection and fulfilment of sexual and reproductive rights of those affected by humanitarian crisis requires evidence and human rights-based action […]
Each year, the number of people affected by humanitarian emergencies continues to increase. Addressing the sexual and reproductive health needs of people affected by such emergencies is a global issue of critical importance. The respect, protection and fulfilment of sexual and reproductive rights of those affected by humanitarian crisis requires evidence and human rights-based action […]
Written by Dominique Vidale-Plaza, Gender Based Violence Specialist, Mukwege Foundation While the prevention of and response to conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has become a hot-topic issue in recent years, victims still remain largely without access to critical, and in some cases, life-saving assistance. Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, particularly CRSV[1], must cope with […]
By Maria Carmen Punzi (PSI/Europe), Odette Hekster (PSI/Europe), Chelsea Polis (Guttmacher Institute), Rubina Hussain (Guttmacher Institute) and Amanda Berry (Guttmacher Institute) Image by Kimber Beck (www.bimberkeck.com) Menstruation profoundly affects the way women and girls experience life, form their identities and make decisions about their bodies and sexualities. Despite how important menstruation is throughout girls and […]
Written by Naomhán O’Connor, Communications Officer, GATE (Global Action for Trans* Equality) Historically, the movement for reproductive rights and justice hasn’t been the most trans-inclusive space. Reproductive justice is, in essence, about the right to have a child, or to not have a child. For trans and gender diverse people, this goes beyond access to […]
Written by Marion Stevens, Director, Sexual and Reproductive Justice Coalition Reproductive Justice is defined by three principles: The right to have child; the right not to have a child; and the right to parent children in safe and healthy environments. Twenty years after the evolution of the concept in the United States, the government of […]
April was Sexual Assault Awareness Month. Over the past month we have shared relevant papers from Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM) journal on our social media platforms, with the aim of raising public awareness about sexual assault. We have grouped these papers here for easy access. SRHM acknowledges that sexual assault is not limited […]
Zero Discrimination day: The Elimination of Stigma and Discrimination in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care In many countries, laws result in people being treated differently, excluded from essential services or being subject to undue restrictions on how they live their lives, simply because of who they are. Such laws are discriminatory—they deny human rights and […]
With 2018 coming to a close and a new year almost upon us, this seems a good time to reflect on the events of the year. And what a year it has been for RHM! RHM celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this month in London, joined by supporters and friends, old and new. The panel […]
Reproductive Health Matters (RHM) recently attended and exhibited at the fifth International Family Planning Conference in Kigali, Rwanda from 12-15 November 2018. The theme for this year’s conference was “Investing for a Lifetime of Returns.” This year, there was a strong theme of humanitarian crises running through the conference sessions. RHM spoke to several members of the The […]
Editorial Celebrating the 70th anniversary of the UDHR, celebrating sexual and reproductive rights Eszter Kismödi & Laura Ferguson Commentaries Criminal law and the risk of harm: a commentary on the impact of criminal laws on sexual and reproductive health, sexual conduct and key populations Veronica Birga, Luisa Cabal, Lucinda O’Hanlon, Christina Zampas Aligning human rights […]
In commemoration of the 30th Anniversary of World AIDS Day, RHM welcomes the news that a Global Partnership for Action to Eliminate All Forms of HIV-related Stigma and Discrimination will be launched on December 10 – Human Rights Day 2018 – and commits to publish and promote research which contributes to the elimination of stigma […]
Written by Dr. Stephen Bell, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia* Associate Professor Angela Kelly-Hanku, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney, Australia; and PNG Institute of Medical Research (PNGIMR), Goroka, PNG This blog is presented on behalf of the authorship team of this recently published article. *Corresponding author: sbell@kirby.unsw.edu.au Despite persistent international attention, adolescent pregnancy remains a […]
Written by Emma Campbell: Artist, activist, lapsed academic and Abortion Nerd®, all of which she throws into her role as Co-Chair for Alliance for Choice. Learning from previous generations of feminist artists and activists, she illuminates the structural inequalities that face abortion seekers and activists through education, art, campaigning and disruption. The 25th of May 2018 […]
Written by Lizzie Kiama, Founding Director at This-Ability. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Bodies are where we put our theories of social justice into practice. It therefore follows that the categories in which bodies are placed, willingly or unwillingly, need to be subject to careful critique. In a society driven by narrow, visual […]
Written by Nina Sun, Global Advocacy Advisor at the Center for Reproductive Rights. Access to evidence-based, unbiased and scientifically accurate health information is one of the foundational pillars of medical ethics, as well as the right to health. While this is important in any interaction with the health system, access to accurate information is […]
Written by Cynthia Rothschild, a feminist activist and author who focuses on human rights, sexuality, gender and UN advocacy. She’s based in New York. The United Nations’ leading expert on poverty recently issued a fiery report condemning poverty in the USA and the calculated decisions and policies that lead to it. Philip Alston, the UN […]
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM), formerly Reproductive Health Matters, is well known for its twice-a-year journal themed issues, which have gathered collections of papers on current, neglected and forward-looking topics and themes since 1993. Since 2017, in addition to the themed issues, the journal has also accepted, in our annual open issue, papers related […]
Written by Dr Ben Kasstan (Research Fellow, University of Sussex) and Ms Anamaria Bejar (Director of Advocacy at International Planned Parenthood Federation, UK; Research student, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine) On Friday, 25 May 2018, voters in Ireland unanimously decided to repeal article 40.3.3 inserted into the Irish constitution by its Eighth Amendment, which, […]
RHM is compiling a themed issue to be published in May 2019 on the impact of politics on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). The purpose of the issue is to assimilate and highlight the consequences of and interconnections between political activities, systems or change on SRHR – whether at global, regional, state, or […]
Established in early 2016, the Guttmacher-Lancet Commission on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights aims to develop a comprehensive, evidence-based, bold and actionable agenda for key sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) priorities globally. The Commission is an international collaboration that brought together 16 experts from Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, with multidisciplinary […]
Reproductive Health Matters (RHM) – a long-standing voice in support of women’s right to safe abortion – joined more than 200 other groups from across the world in support of the Polish protest movement to oppose the bill tightening abortion law in Poland. A letter called on members of Poland’s parliament to “listen to the voices […]
Reproductive Health Matters is pleased to present its latest journal issue Humanitarian crises: advancing sexual and reproductive health and rights All articles are available open access via our journal website: www.rhmjournal.org TABLE OF CONTENTS EDITORIAL: Care with dignity in humanitarian crises: ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights of displaced populations Monica Onyango, Shirin Heidari […]
Time flies! It is hard to believe that already a year has passed since I wrote my blog summarising 2016. It is time to review 2017. This year started with dismaying news for the SRHR movement: the re-enactment of the Global Gag Rule, a backward policy that will have far-reaching consequences for many people around […]
Foreign NGOs, defined as NGOs (non-profit or for-profit) that are not organized under the laws of the United States, can engage in certain types of abortion-related activities and still remain eligible for U.S. global health assistance. This brochure seeks to clarify the specific restrictions imposed by the policy in order to protect and preserve critical […]
An Open Call for Papers SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS IN THE ERA OF COVID-19 SRHM Open Issue The coronavirus disease pandemic (COVID-19) will affect aspects of our lives, all over the world, in many ways. As the coming weeks and months unfold, we will begin to understand better the impacts and effective responses […]
Secretariat Trustees Associate Editors Editorial Board Avni Amin – Scientist on Gender-based Violence, WHO, Department of Reproductive Health and Research, Switzerland Luisa Cabal – Special Adviser for Human Rights and Gender at UNAIDS, Switzerland Mauro Cabral – Executive Director, GATE, Argentina Lidia Casas – Professor of Law, Facultad de Derecho, Universidad Diego Portales, Chile Marilen […]
A panel discussion during the 61st session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 2017. Hosted by RHM, International Rescue Committee, World Health Organization, Women’s Refugee Commission, Columbia University, and Ipas.
UPCOMING WEBINAR: Universal Health Coverage and SRHR during COVID-19 and beyond In the current political climate, achieving universal health coverage (UHC) for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), particularly in the context of rights, can be challenging. Join us to hear from invited experts talking about new reality of achieving SRHR in UHC during […]
2016 has been a turbulent year, with conservative forces gaining ground and causing women growing anxiety over lingering threats to their reproductive rights. The year also offered a few occasions for celebration: we joined in solidarity with our Polish sisters when they succeeded in stopping a proposed law which, if passed, would have made all […]
Laura Ferguson is Associate Director of the Program on Global Health & Human Rights, Assistant Professor at the Institute for Global Health at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California and Associate Editor at Reproductive Health Matters. World AIDS Day is a time for reflection, remembrance and re-energizing efforts to address […]
A EuroNGOS conference side event hosted by Médecins du Monde and RHM, in October 2016.
RHM signed the public statement submitted to the Home Affairs Ministry of Spain by the the State Family Planning Federation to be reinstated as a public utility. “The Ministry of the Interior of the Spanish government has revoked the declaration of public utility of the State Family Planning Federation (FPFE) upon the request, using moral arguments, of an […]
RHM participated in the online campaign to show solidarity for Polish women #ODZYSKAĆWYBÓR (Regain the Choice), a coalition of feminist and other non-governmental organisations, informal groups and individuals, struggling to regain the abortion choice right Polish women were deprived of 23 years ago. “Polish women could legally terminate pregnancies in safe conditions with no threat to health or life. They could […]
Seasons Greetings from Shirin Heidari, RHM Director and Editor With the Holiday Season upon us, I want to reflect on the year that has passed and those who have made our progress and success possible. 2015 marked the transition to a new era for RHM. There has been a change in leadership, with Marge Berer […]
On the third anniversary of the preventable death of Savita Halappanavar we have collated some of the pieces on the law, policies and practices that resulted in her death; and a range of views on the new Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, the Irish government’s response to the tragic death. Termination of pregnancy as emergency obstetric care: the […]
RHM endorsed a letter calling MPs, the Speaker and the Prime Minister of Poland to vote against the citizen’s bill amending the Act on Family Planning, Protection of the Human Fetus and Conditions of Pregnancy Termination and related Acts, submitted by the Committee “Stop Abortion” that would make abortion illegal in all cases. The letter was submitted […]
Submission-on-General-Comment-on-Article-6_FINALReproductive Health Matters has submitted written input to the work of the Human Rights Committee in preparation for a General Comment on Article 6 (Right to Life) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR). Our comments are limited to the issue of maternal mortality, unsafe abortion, including as a result of criminalisation of abortion […]
RHM endorsed a statement by ARROW in reaction to a Protection of the Family Resolution that has been tabled at the UN Human Rights Council, 29th Session, Geneva. The statement outlines why this is problematic as it can conceal and bring about human rights abuses to the constituencies we work with. Sponsors continuously refuse to include recognition that in […]
A film by Brenda Davis. 2014. 86 minutes. Multiple languages with English sub-titles. A review by Sarah Rudrum Woman and child, Tigray, Ethiopia Following the challenging work of health care providers in Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Haiti, Sister introduces personal stories that illustrate factors contributing to ongoing high rates of maternal mortality. In Tigray, Ethiopia, Goitom […]
RHM has endorsed a statement by IPAS calling for the Zero Draft Global Strategy for Women’s, Children’s and Adolescent’s Health to explicitly identify safe abortion as a component of the strategy. The document is open to stakeholder input until June 5th 2015. If you and your organisation would like to endorse the following statement please send […]
Reproductive Health Matters submission to the Committee on the Rights of the Child General Comment on the Rights of Adolescents, March 31st 2015 Context Adolescent girls around the world are disproportionately impacted by the unmet need for contraception[i]; unsafe abortion[ii], maternal morbidity and mortality[iii]. These risks can be caused or exacerbated by female genital mutilation, […]
A film by Holen Sabrina Kahn and Alessandra Zek, Chicken & Egg Pictures, 2014 (65 min), in Spanish with English subtitles A review by Marge Berer This is a film about Daniel Ortega’s betrayal of Nicaraguan women. Made over a period of several years, this documentary film features the experiences of young, rural, pregnant women […]
Marge Berer – Editor, Reproductive Health Matters 10th February 2015 This was a case that should never have been allowed to happen. While female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice and needs to stop, the UK government, politicians from David Cameron on down, and especially the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), the Director of Public Prosecutions […]
Written by Jonathan Broad (MBChB, MClinEd), Research Associate in Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol. Jonathan Broad has an interest in global health and the social circumstances, particularly in childhood, which underpin lifelong health inequalities. I read with great interest Sundari Ravindran’s call for advocacy against neoliberal globalisation and its damaging effect on reproductive health through […]
Reproductive Health Matters submitted the following contribution to the online consultation for “The World We Want 2015”. It’s in the “Health in the Post-2015 Development Agenda” consultation under the “Lead Theme” on AIDS, health and development. 1.Successful AIDS responses have involved comprehensive prevention, treatment, care and support, taking account of social determinants of health. HIV […]