Our governments have promised to deliver on gender equality and human rights by endorsing a range of declarations, agreements and other commitments, including legally-binding treaty CEDAW in 1979 (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), ICPD in 1994 (International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action), Beijing Declaration in 1995 and its platform for action, UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, among others.
“But anti-rights push of Geneva Consensus Declaration threatens to undo whatever-little progress has been made on gender equality and human rights. Geneva Consensus Declaration takes anti-rights stance against recognising abortion as a human right and aims to scuttle sexual and reproductive rights. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned us last year that “on the current track, gender equality is projected to be 300 years away.”
Governments have promised to deliver on gender equality by 2030 as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),” said Shobha Shukla, coordinator of SHE and Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) Initiative. “When the PACT for the future was adopted at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) last month, alarmingly over 30 countries have adopted it which are also signatories to the regressive and anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration,” said Menka Goundan, Programme Director, ARROW (Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women).
Menka added: “Whilst the bigger winds like the PACT of the future adopted last month at UNGA might come in, and we would be like ‘oh yeah! this is so progressive’ but we often do not underscore it against threats like Geneva Consensus Declaration which will impede the progressive implementation of the PACT for the Future, and other commitments we are making for gender equality and human rights.”
“That is why we need to educate ourselves in terms of threats like Geneva Consensus Declaration. This Declaration is regressive and anti-abortion, and right winged (in terms of its framework) because it allows governments to hide under the principle of ‘sovereignty’ and to release these countries from their obligation to enact sexual and reproductive rights for women. So, it is a very slim move to regress when it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights. We are failing to ensure that women have autonomy to make choices on our sexual and reproductive health” said Menka.
Kavutha Mutua, Advocate, High Court of Kenya and Founder-Director of The Legal Caravan said: “Most African countries have signed on to international human rights instruments which includes the CEDAW of 1979, ICPD of 1994, Beijing Declaration of 1995, and the SDGs in 2015. All of them provide critical aspects on gender equality and women empowerment with a focus on safe abortion, access to contraceptives and comprehensive sexuality education. But contradicting policies like Geneva Consensus Declaration goes against what is provided in local laws. For example, Kenya (whose constitution provides for the right to access abortion services) has signed on to the regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration – and there has been a campaign in African countries led by our respected First Ladies who are encouraging signing on to such declaration which goes against the provisions of our local laws. As Africa we need to prioritize the removal of legal and policy barriers towards access to safe abortion services and access to contraceptives.”
Dr Suchitra Dalvie, Co-Founder and Coordinator, Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) said: “Safe abortion rights are so critical to the progress of humankind because the inability to control fertility reduces opportunities to access education, financial Independence and overall well-being. It reduces capacity to exercise autonomy, agency and the ability to fulfil their highest potential. Criminalization does not reduce or stop abortions rather it only reduces safe abortions.”