SRHM ensures that SRHR advocacy, policy and practice are informed and influenced by rigorous rights- and evidence-based analysis, working collaboratively with partners and allies to influence political and policy agendas.
13 October, 2021
Written by Risa E. Kaufman, Director, U.S. Human Rights, Center for Reproductive Rights As the threat of U.S. retrogression on abortion rights increases, so do demands for human rights. This year, state legislatures throughout the United States enacted historic numbers of abortion restrictions and bans. Texas Senate Bill 8 illustrates the extreme nature of these […]
11 November, 2020
On 22 October 2020, the Polish government ruled in favour of a near total ban on abortions – even though the country already had one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. The ban would apply to cases of severe fetal anomaly which account for 98% of abortions carried out in Poland. The controversial court […]
23 September, 2020
In commemoration of Safe Abortion Day on September 28, this blog signposts some of the papers that have appeared in the SRHM journal on abortion during the COVID-19 pandemic. As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) spread around the globe and healthcare systems faced unprecedented demand, many experts warned of the possible consequences this crisis could […]
20 July, 2020
Written by Elżbieta Korolczuk and Pauline Cullen Anti-abortion groups often claim that their aim is to protect women from the alleged negative consequences of abortion, but in practice, they continuously stigmatize women who undergo this procedure. In anti-abortion propaganda, abortion is portrayed as a deviation from the norm, as something shameful and immoral, or as […]
18 February, 2020
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 […]
5 December, 2019
This-Ability Trust in collaboration with Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters (SRHM), Making it Work, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Canadian High Commission conducted a one day consultative forum to deliberate the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls with disabilities, the status of universal health coverage and opportunities to advance their […]
8 July, 2019
A group of organizations, academics and individual experts, have expressed collective concerns and endorsed an agreed list of points about equating surrogacy where there is a monetary exchange to the sale of children in recent reports by the Special Rapporteur. Equating compensated gestational surrogacy as the sale of children is deeply problematic. It mischaracterizes and misapprehends the […]
27 March, 2019
Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters has collaborated closely with the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn & Child Health (PMNCH) on the development and implementation of a call to action to include SRHR as an essential element to achieve universal health coverage (UHC). Universal health coverage (UHC) is rapidly emerging as an essential framework to promote healthy lives and […]
22 March, 2018
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 […]
20 March, 2017
RHM signed the letter presented to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during CSW to meet up with NGOs for an open dialogue to strengthen the UN’s commitment and support so that feminist and women’s movements can have a strong voice in the UN. Read More
17 March, 2017
RHM signed a letter to the UN Secretary-General from NGOs represented at this year’s UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), invited António Guterres, UN Secretary-General, to meet with them for an open dialogue during the CSW (13 to 24 March 2017). “These are troubled times and the world’s women call on the UN […]
13 June, 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 […]
11 April, 2016
RHM endorsed a letter calling on UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to officially recognise 11 April as the International Day for Maternal Health brought forward by Center for Health and Gender Equity and Path International. “On April 11, we will celebrate the third annual International Day for Maternal Health and Rights. Will the UN join us? Each year, 289,000 women […]
4 April, 2016
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 […]
7 March, 2016
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 […]
4 September, 2015
RHM endorsed a letter to the new Chair of UN Women Purna Sen asking that UN Women makes changes to include Lesbian, Bisexual women, Trans women and Intersex women at a structural level and programmatic level as they continue to be marginalised. At present these issues only gain a profile when individuals champion them, but […]
4 September, 2015
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 […]
30 July, 2015
As a member of HPV Action RHM signed a letter to Ms Jane Ellison (MP) calling on the Department of Health for universal HPV vaccination in the UK. ” (…) We believe that both boys and girls should be vaccinated against HPV at around the age of 12/13 in order to protect everyone from a range of diseases, […]
25 July, 2015
RHM endorsed a statement presented by the Intergovernmental Negotiations on the Post-2015 agenda in New York. “I’d like to highlight the consistent support from governments, UN agencies, and CSO colleagues from around the world, who agree that gender equality, women’s rights and human rights are essential to achieve sustainable development, and as such, must be recognized […]
24 July, 2015
We understand that three resolutions are currently being negotiated at the 29thsession of the Human Rights Council which relate directly to Reproductive Health Matters’ area of expertise and interest, and to that of our stakeholders. Reproductive Health Matters is an international organisation focusing on the sexual and reproductive health and rights of people around the […]
29 June, 2015
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 […]
29 June, 2015
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 […]
19 May, 2015
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 […]
31 March, 2015
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, […]
20 February, 2013
1. Sexual and reproductive health and rights as an essential part of the health goal: tackling inequities and disparities Health cannot be ensured without ensuring sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). We therefore support the inputs into this report that propose that SRHR should be at the centre of any health goal in the […]
1 February, 2013
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 […]