Women and Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

Around the world, women face a range of barriers that prevent or frustrate the full realization of the right to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including in relation to the availability, accessibility and quality of health care, and specifically reproductive health. At ESCR-Net’s Global Strategy Meeting (Buenos Aires, November 2016), Women and ESCR Working Group members prioritized action to advance substantive equality and ESCR in relation to sexual and reproductive health and rights. The expertise and leadership of WESCR WG members will guide forthcoming strategy discussions about collective work for the Working Group to take on in this area, with the objective of using the human rights framework to ensure women’s leadership in decision-making and evolving health-related structures and practices.

Joint briefing with CESCR and CEDAW Committees members on current challenges and opportunities related to women and ESCR in November 2015

Previously, WESCR WG members engaged in a joint briefing (Geneva, November 2015) with members of the Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (CESCR) and the Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) aimed at advancing women’s ESC rights and substantive equality, including in relation to health.