my body my rights
right now, people you don’t even know are discussing everything from young people’s right to sex education, and women’s rights to make free choices about their bodies, to the legitimacy of same-sex relationships. and we have a unique opportunity to influence their decisions. © UN Photo
Why is this relevant to me?
That all sounds quite positive?
So what happens next?
Because this UN meeting is about your human rights, your body, and your future. By getting involved, you can help stop our sexual and reproductive rights being rolled back – it is already happening worldwide (see box on right). And many voices demanding change are difficult to ignore.
Yes – the two-year review of the agreement leading up to April has already seen some amazing successes. Together, thousands of young activists from 180 countries created a Youth Declaration at a forum in Bali in 2012. It reaffirms young people’s sexual and reproductive rights and makes clear recommendations for how governments can factor these rights into their development policies.
The next key stage of the ICPD+20 review is the UN session in April. The decisions made there will shape your government’s future policies and programmes. It will also influence the new international goals for development being agreed over the next two years. All over the world, people are calling for sex education and health services to be properly resourced and available to more of us, especially young people. This will be much more likely if governments commit to maintaining and improving standards at the talks in April.
And what is this meeting about? It’s called the International Commission on Population and Development, and it takes place at the UN in April. The short name is ICPD+20, because it is a review of a historic document agreed by 179 governments 20 years ago.
Why does this agreement matter? It’s just some words on a page. But they’re important words: they have the power to define the priorities for future sexual and reproductive health policies and funding programmes. Activists and women’s groups are using these words as tools to influence governments and push for progress.
What are my sexual and reproductive rights, exactly? You have the right to: n Make decisions about your own health n Ask for and get information about health services n Decide if and when to have children n Choose whether or not to marry n Access sexual and reproductive health care n Live free from sexual violence. The first ICPD agreement reaffirmed these rights, already set out in various international human rights treaties, and sets standards for how to implement them. Above right: Delegates at the first UN International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, Egypt, 1994. They will meet again this April. Their decisions will impact directly on us all, including these women (left) bringing their children to a health centre for a check-up in Manila, Philippines.
“We have seen and felt that we are not alone,” said one of the Youth Forum participants, Sabrina Frydman from Argentina. “And fighting a great battle, having such wonderful allies, is one of the best incentives an everyday human rights activist can ask for.”
So why the urgency from Amnesty? Because not all states agree on the way forward. Ever since the first ICPD agreement, some governments and interest groups have consistently opposed young people’s right to education about sex and relationships, women’s rights to make free choices about their bodies, and the legitimacy of same-sex relationships. Our sexual and reproductive rights are being rolled back globally (see box on right). For example, after a misleading campaign by conservative groups, the European Parliament refused to agree on a strong common position on sexual and reproductive rights last December. Instead, it adopted a resolution stating that such policies are at the discretion of each EU member state. A progressive common position could have supported a better future for millions of young people across the globe. We want to take this opportunity to turn back negative trends like this, and support the basic human rights of millions of people worldwide.
rights being rolled back n
In Nigeria a deeply oppressive new law – the Same Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act – has seen many people arrested, simply for being gay. n In India, the Supreme Court overturned a High Court ruling that said criminalizing same-sex relations was unconstitutional. n Spain’s Minister for Justice recently put forward a new draft bill that would severely restrict women’s and girls’ access to abortion. n Other countries – including Lithuania, Macedonia, Turkey and the USA – also tried to restrict access to abortion last year.
take action >>> Around 1.8 billion young people worldwide are at risk of having their sexual and reproductive rights ignored. Tell world leaders to protect these rights now and for the next generation. Sign our petition and find out more about our My Body My Rights campaign at www.amnesty.org/mybodymyrights #mybodymyrights
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