You only need to read the headlines every morning to know that immigration is a big issue, so the theme of this year’s session, “New Trends in Migration,” was especially timely. Today, more women are migrating than ever before, representing nearly half of the total international migrant population, and in some countries, as much as 70 to 80 percent.

During the process of migration, women and girls tend to be more vulnerable to human rights violations, particularly breaches of their sexual and reproductive health and rights including violence and sexual coercion.

In recognition of these realities, the Resolution urges governments to “incorporate a gender perspective into all policies and programs on international migration,” and to “strengthen actions to prevent and eliminate all forms of violence, coercion, discrimination, trafficking in persons, and exploitation and abuse of women and girls.”

The Resolution also calls upon governments to provide migrants with access to sexual and reproductive health services, information and education, and implement measures to prevent violence. These services include emergency contraception, safe abortion where permitted by law, and HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, care and support.

Françoise Girard, President of IWHC, welcomed the final Resolution:

“We are pleased that governments have committed to respecting the rights and meeting the needs of migrant women and girls, given the large numbers of women who migrate for work around the world today. This agreement makes clear that health services for migrant women must include sexual and reproductive health services, including vital services for migrants who have suffered violence such as emergency contraception and safe abortion.”

The negotiations during the weeklong Commission reached tense levels over issues of whether and to what extent migrants should have access to services. The European Union and Canada, in particular, strongly opposed extending services to all migrants regardless of migration status. For its part, the Vatican once again argued against sexual and reproductive health and rights and claimed not to see any connection between sexual and reproductive health and migration—turning a blind eye to the clear needs of migrant women and girls. The Vatican was joined by conservative governments such as Nigeria, Egypt, and Qatar. In the end, however, they were unable to thwart consensus.

In his opening remarks, Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), emphasized the rights of female migrants among the issues most important to UNFPA’s work. Osotimehin noted women and girls make up nearly half of all the estimated 214 million migrants worldwide. He continued:

Building a life in a new country can foster greater independence and  self-confidence, and create opportunities for the empowerment of women. However, breaking down established values and practices also creates tension and vulnerability. Moreover, all too often, female migration is accompanied by exploitation and abuse and trafficking across borders, especially in unregulated and informal sectors of the economy where women predominate. These women typically have limited or no access at all to health insurance and public services, including much needed reproductive health services.

This week, IWHC and other women’s rights groups will be focusing on several key issues as government delegations negotiate a resolution.

• Since a large percentage of the migrant population is of reproductive age, the CPD should ensure that women, men, and young people who migrate have access to sexual and reproductive health services, including contraception, evidence-based comprehensive sexuality education, safe abortion, and prevention, testing and treatment of sexually transmitted infections. Migrants often experience barriers to sexual and reproductive health services.
• Migration can empower women and girls and offer them economic opportunities, but it can also be a process fraught with risk. Women and girls can experience exploitation and abuse while migrating, and in the host country. It’s critical the CPD make special provisions for the protection of female migrants against abusive labor conditions, and against sexual violence and exploitation.
• Women and girls may be migrating to leave an abusive marriage, or escape gender-based violence. Current conflicts in Syria and Congo, for example, have brought about fresh crises of rape being used as a weapon of war. For that reason, migration policies must pay particular attention to the situation of women and girls fleeing violence.
• Many migrants leave their homes to escape persecution because of real or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. States must put in place mechanisms to ensure these persons can seek refuge in a new country.
• Finally, we’ll be watching to make sure that governments respect and promote the human rights of all and provide health and social services to all, regardless of migration or national status.

IWHC staff will be at the UN this week, so watch the #CPD46 hashtag on Twitter for our live updates.

IWHC and our advocate colleagues, including members of RESURJ, are very excited that late Friday, UN member states issued a bold resolution in support of young people’s sexual and reproductive health and human rights. This victory is a result of a week of very long days: hard work and strategic advocacy was put forth by an amazing group of advocates, who camped out at the UN here in New York for many long hours, going over language, making suggestions, and working with country delegates to make much-needed changes in the resolution.

Key points of the final resolution include:

• The right of young people to decide on all matters related to their sexuality
• Access to sexual and reproductive health services, including safe abortion where legal, that respect confidentiality and do not discriminate
• The right of youth to comprehensive sexuality education
• Protection and promotion of young people’s right to control their sexuality free from violence, discrimination and coercion

“At this time of global uncertainty, there is no more important investment to be made,” said South African youth delegate Kgomotso Papo during the closing plenary. “Only healthy young people whose human rights are protected can be fully productive workers and effective participants in their country’s political processes.  Only when young people are healthy and empowered can they contribute to building strong communities and vibrant nations.”

Below you will find a blog written by AiP participant Maxsalia Salmon of the Jamaica Youth Advocacy Network that underscores the importance of reaching a resolution at CPD, for the sake of protecting the rights of young people around the world.

It’s Friday the 27th of April (the proposed date for the closing of the 45th session of the CPD) and following days of opposition to proposed texts the members of the commission as it stands are currently awaiting the chairs text so as to proceed. As we gather with bated breath awaiting the resumption of today’s session the young people who have gathered from around the world stand committed to pushing for a resolution document today.

Notwithstanding the fact the nearly 95% of the delegates representing the UN nations at this year’s CPD session themed “Adolescent and Youth” are adults and dare I say elders in some cases I must salute the youth and the countries who have ensured  that young people are a part of the process. Their unrelenting attitude continues to motivate us here each day. With that said I must express my disappointment with the nations (including my own) who refused for whatever reason to include young people in this process. It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to have young people being involved at all stages when we seek to make polices, programmes and even draft international agreements that affect their lives.

So it seems the issues surrounding sexual and reproductive health and rights for young people are one of the main reasons why the delegates have been unable to reach agreement on proposed text. It is preposterous to me that facts such as those highlighted by UNAIDS in the statements presented at this year’s CPD session have not clarified the need to have a comprehensive approach to addressing youth SRHR issues. Facts which show for example that young people accounted for 42% of all HIV infections in people aged 15 and older and that in low and middle income countries only 24% of young women and 36% of young men have comprehensive knowledge of HIV. It must be acknowledged by nations that all adolescents and youth have a right to sexual and reproductive health, to live free from violence and coercion, and to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights. Youth involvement, comprehensive sexuality education, youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, an enabling legal and socio-cultural environment, and recognition of youth diversity are critical to ensuring that young people lead healthy lives.

Standing committed to youth development,
Maxsalia

As the world reviews progress on  implementation of the  Program of Action of  the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, women in all our diversity, are mobilizing.  We aim to build political commitment, to overcome financial and legal obstacles, and to transform the weak health systems,  adverse social and economic conditions, violence and discrimination that impede us from accessing the necessary health services and information to make informed decisions about our sexual and reproductive lives.  All over the world, millions of women are demanding justice.  Young women are speaking out, calling for meaningful participation in all areas of public life, for education and jobs, and fulfillment of human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights.

Today, there are 1.8  billion young people between the ages of 10‐24 who do not have access to the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and sexuality education that they need for a safe and healthy life.  More than 215 million women who are married or living in unions do not want to be pregnant but lack access to modern contraception, and even more lack access to other vital sexual and  reproductive  health  services  and  information. The  prevalence  of  anemia  due  to  poor  nutrition, continuing lack of  safe water and sanitation, and the health impacts of rising global and national inequality place the sexual and reproductive health of girls and women at grave risk.  Too many women and girls continue to face gender inequality, violence, and other violations of human rights.

We will generate political will, sustained action, and accountability for:

• Universal  access  to  quality,  comprehensive,  integrated  sexual  and  reproductive  health services,  counseling,  and  information  for  women  and  adolescent  girls,  with  respect  for their human  rights,  and  with  an  emphasis  on  equity  and  respect  for  diversity. Comprehensive services include: gynecological care, all forms of safe and effective contraception, safe abortion and  post  abortion  care,  maternity  care,  and  prevention,  timely  diagnosis  and  treatment  of sexually  transmitted  infections  including  HIV,  breast  and  reproductive  cancers,  and infertility. Ideally, these should be integrated, one‐stop services tailored to women’s needs throughout the life cycle, with effective referral.
• Programs that empower women, particularly adolescent girls and young women, to know their bodies and to exercise their rights, especially through comprehensive sexuality education.
• Protection and promotion of reproductive rights as human rights, and international adoption of sexual  rights as  human  rights.    Full  recognition  and  implementation,  through  policies and programs, of existing and emerging legal standards are urgently needed.
• Young  women’s leadership at  all  levels  and  types  of  decision‐making  on  sexual  and reproductive  rights  and  health,  and  the  meaningful  participation  of  women’s  organizations  in the design of health and development programs

At this CPD, an alliance of feminist activists, from 14 countries in the global South come to hold all of you, our governments, accountable for ensuring that you re-commit to sexual and reproductive health and human rights, particularly of women and young people.

In India, more than 50% of children are sexually abused, 78% of young people less than 20 years don’t know about safer sex, 49% of girls get married before the age of 18 years and nearly 45% of all new HIV infections are in people under 25 years of age. We are a population of more than 300 million young people, we are still struggling to make sexuality education and youth friendly health services available. This is inexcusable, governments do not have the right to play with our lives in the name of economics and prosperity. Put our rights first!

Young women’s Sexuality in Indonesia is invisible. In 2010, 57% of new HIV infections were among young people, half of them young women. Within our Health Law, young people are entitled to information on reproductive health but do not have access to an HIV test, contraception, or a safe abortion service

In Egypt, despite the fact that the 2009 World Health Statistics confirm that about 60% of Egyptians use some form of contraception, research indicates that family planning messages are not reaching women in communities. Moreover, a survey carried out in 2008 found that 83% of Egyptian women reported being exposed to sexual harassment on the streets on a daily basis.

Even though Poland has been part of the European Union for seven years, Polish women are still denied their basic sexual and reproductive rights especially the right to choose. Polish law on abortion is one of the most restrictive in Europe, with dramatic consequences for the health and lives of women. With a population of almost 40 million, 10 million women of them in reproductive age, the annual number of legal procedures is around 500 but the number of illegal abortions, many of them unsafe, is estimated between 80 and 190 thousand a year. The ban on abortion hits poor women the most, as they cannot afford to travel abroad for a safe procedure.

Despite being a middle-income country, in Mexico the percentage of pregnant women living with HIV receiving profilaxis treatment is estimated to be between 5 and 9%. However, reproductive rights violations such as mandatory sterilization and discrimination of health services is a daily reality.

In Kenya, there are many cases of young women who are arrested on prostitution charges, using the fact that they are carrying condoms as evidence.  This is counter-productive and contradictory.  If the government prioritizes the procurement and distribution of female condoms, putting the control over sexual & reproductive health in the hands of women, fertility rates decline naturally.  Currently, the contraceptive prevalence rate for women between 15-49 years is less than 40%.  Instead of investing in women’s sexual and reproductive health, millions of shillings are being spent on male circumcision, leaving millions young women & girls vulnerable.  Finally, at least 3 months of school time is lost for thousands of poor girls around the country who do not have access to sanitary towels – this is a total disgrace.  We simply cannot talk about population and development if we are not addressing the crtical needs of women and adolescent girls who make up more than half of the nation’s population.

The RESURJ Alliance places women’s and young people’s human rights, particularly sexual and reproductive rights, participation in decision-making, and accountability at the center of health programs and development efforts.

This afternoon, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton commemorated the 15^th anniversary of the ICPD, characterizing access to reproductive health care as a “basic right.”   Secretary Clinton stated that, “If we believe that human rights are women’s rights, then we cannot accept the marginalization of half the world’s population.”  She went on to say that “Women’s health is essential to the prosperity and health of all people,” and that, “Investing in the health of women, adolescents and girls is not just the right thing to do; it’s the smart thing to do.”

However, concrete action by the U.S., other donors, multilateral institutions, and other key actors is still needed to realize the ICPD goals, which include advancing gender equality; ensuring access to education; and providing universal access to reproductive health care including voluntary contraception, safe abortion services where legal, maternity care and sex education programs that prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections including HIV/AIDS—by 2015.

RATING: THUMBS UP

You can view the video of Secretary Clinton’s speech at www.icpd2015.org and provide your comments to the U.S. State Department here.

Each year IWHC issues a publication highlighting the “Top Ten Wins for Women’s Health and Rights” for that year. This week on Akimbo, we’ll be unveiling our latest picks for the top ten wins for women’s health and rights of 2009. Click here to view the list from last year.

During the 1990′s, UN world conferences on population and development revolutionized the way the world views population policy and funding. Specifically, at the UN’s International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), held in Cairo in 1994, IWHC mobilized women worldwide to help achieve an unprecedented commitment by 179 governments to pursue an ambitious 20-year “Programme of Action” (PoA) that places women’s rights and access to reproductive health at the center of population policy.

In April 2009, the UN Commission on Population and Development (CPD) conducted reviewed 15 years of implementation of the original Programme of Action, and produced a resolution recommitting national governments to priority actions. The first strong intergovernmental statement that implementation of the Programme of Action is essential for achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), the 2009 CPD resolution  placed an unprecedented emphasis on human rights, including in regard to sexuality.  The resolution also included a new commitment to “comprehensive education on sexuality and gender equality,” access to male and female condoms, reproductive health services for adolescents, and the importance of SRRH to HIV/AIDS

What’s next: This strong resolution is the result of collaboration and leadership by government delegations and a web of dedicated advocates, and can be used to move implementation strongly forward. At the country-level, advocates can hold government accountable for policies, funding, and programs to meet the ICPD commitments. Global advocates can work with UN agencies and multilateral agencies, such as the World Bank and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, to help them align their policies and funding with the CPD resolution.

Government delegations and advocates will promote reaffirmation of the language of the 2009 resolution in future negotiations, including the UN General Assembly and the Commission on the Status of Women, as well as the Commission on Population and Development.  This fall, the UN General Assembly adopted a historic resolution to create a strong women’s agency to consolidate and monitor the work of UN bodies.  If vigorously implemented—and funded—the resolution promises a politically powerful, independent agency to move adopted goals for gender equality and women’s empowerment forward.

Find out more: Read background, overview analysis, and detailed analysis from IWHC on the 2009 CPD Resolution.

IWHC provides more breaking news from this week’s NGO Forum in Berlin.

Yesterday, we blogged about a heated debate brewing at the three-day conference that brought together NGOs to evaluate how far we’ve come in realizing the Cairo Programme of Action.

Today, we bring you more breaking news from the conference.  On Wednesday, young people from over 60 countries convened for the Youth Symposium at the Global Partners in Action: NGO forum on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Development, and issued a call to action of their own. In it, they called on governments, donors, the private sector, as well as civil society to strengthen their commitment to sexual health and reproductive rights. Specifically, they called on them to:

Strengthen their commitment to implement the ICPD PoA on adolescents and youth at the country level, regardless of the political environment, donors and country donors’ agendas, and to contextualize it so that it addresses country needs and local realities, by educating people and generating demand, and allocating local resources for self-sustaining programmes.

Think beyond Cairo and acknowledge the limitations of the ICPD Plan of Action, by pushing for a more inclusive and progressive agenda; specifically the recognition of sexual rights; sexual diversity and the different forms of family composition; eliminating of gender bias that leads to inequality and discrimination; liberalizing laws which will make abortion services more accessible and safer for women; promoting drug-related harm reduction strategies; eliminating the legal barriers that prevent adolescents from accessing sexual and reproductive health services and fully enjoying their sexuality; and facilitating access to the benefits of scientific progress.  We recognize the value of cultural differences and do not perceive it as a barrier for fully realizing young people’s sexual and reproductive health and rights and cultural practices should not compromise young people’s rights.

Recognize that young people are entitled to all human rights and that we are a very diverse group with different backgrounds. We are young people; women, men, lesbians, gays, heterosexuals, transgender;  in school, out of school, sex workers, married, divorced, single or in a relationship; we live with HIV and AIDS; we are disabled; we are migrants, refugees, displaced, trafficked;  we are working, jobless or seeking employment; we speak different languages; we have different spiritual beliefs and practices; we have different perceptions of the world around us; we use different media and social networks to communicate globally. Therefore, programs targeting us should acknowledge and respect our diversity by conducting research, collecting disaggregated data by age, sex/ gender and eliminate the existing policies that discriminate against us.

Involve young people at all programmatic, policy and decision-making and budget planning and distribution at the national, regional and international level. In order to achieve this, States, decisions makers, international agencies, donors, and NGO’s must invest in young people through mentoring programmes and capacity-building initiatives and equal youth-adult partnerships.

Support youth-led organizations and groups through providing institutional capacity building and long-term funding both at program and operational level.


Promote accurate, timely and evidence-based comprehensive sexuality education for young people, both in school and out of school which recognizes the rights of young people to enjoy their sexuality in a safe and pleasurable way, free from coercion, discrimination, and violence in intimate partner relationships.   States should ensure that the different sectors of society involved in sexuality education are fully informed, sensitized on youth issues and empowered to act in the best interests of young people.  

Provide sustainable sexual and reproductive health services, including counseling, by trained providers which offer non-judgmental care and respect diversity.   This includes eliminating legal barriers which restrict young people’s access to essential services, such as parental and spousal consent, age of consent and issues of confidentiality.  Young people should have access to a wide range of reproductive health supplies and treatment which allows them to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress.

Be sure to check out our video featuring Vincent, a representative from the Youth Coalition who is based in the Phillipines. Vincent speaks about what needs to happen for youth to be included in achieving the Programme of Action set forth in the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo in 1994.

Check out this video featuring Vincent, a representative from the Youth Coalition who is based in the Phillipines, and be sure to stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog post about the youth component of the Berlin Conference.

This week in Berlin, Germany, more than 300 nongovernmental organizations are participating in a three-day conference with the goal of reinvigorating support for implementation of the full International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action (PoA) by 2015.

The PoA, agreed to by 179 governments fifteen years ago, is the considered by many to be the most comprehensive international agreement on sexual and reproductive rights and health, and a defining moment in making human rights central to global development.  Today, many organizations and advocates continue to use this exceptional agreement to move ICPD implementation forward.

As part of the conference, two documents will be produced.  The first document is a Call to Action that will be delivered to parliamentarians when they meet to discuss progress towards achieving the PoA in October  in Addis Abbaba, Ethiopia. The second document, directed at NGOs, is a “how to” for advocacy and programmatic implementation of the PoA, with particular emphasis on the policy priorities of the Call to Action.

A first draft of the Call to Action was distributed to conference participants yesterday evening, and a debate appears to be  quickly heating up.  Some feel that the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs)– global targets for alleviating extreme poverty–should not even be mentioned in the Call to Action, because it may divert support from ICPD’s focus on gender equality and reproductive rights.  Others argue that the PoA no longer resonates with policymakers, and that the name of the game today is the MDGs.  Those advocates argue that placing the PoA within the framework of the MDGs will draw more attention to the need for universal access to sexual and reproductive rights and health.

“The point is to define what is the best strategy to push forward government commitments at this moment considering we still have five years ahead to achieve the Programme of Action,” said Alessandra Nilo, executive director of GESTOS in Brazil.

A final draft of the Call to Action will be issued this evening.  The final Call will reflect input recieved during numerous workshops and discussions, including a workshop moderated by IWHC on how access to sexual and reproductive health services can empower women against HIV infection.

More information on the CPD:

Click here to read the Report of the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 5-13 Sept. 1994).

Click here for an overview of the ICPD Programme of Action.