The Status of Women’s Reproductive Rights in Africa
Posted: 11 March, 2022 Filed under: Satang Nabaneh | Tags: Beijing Declaration, essential services, female genital mutilation, gender-based violence, HIV, human rights instruments, lack of information, Maputo Protocol, maternal mortality, Sexual and reproductive health, sexual and reproductive rights Leave a commentAuthor: Satang Nabaneh
Post-doctoral Fellow, Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria
Sexual and reproductive health and rights has been recognized to be embodied in human rights instruments. The achievement of sexual and reproductive health relies on realizing sexual and reproductive rights. This means that States have general obligations to respect, protect and fulfill these rights. Despite these obligations, violations of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights are evident, including denial of essential services such as obstetric care, lack of high-quality care, access to safe abortion, female genital mutilation (FGM), and early marriage. With regard to HIV infections, the WHO African region remains the most severely affected, with nearly 1 in every 25 adults (3.6%) living with HIV and accounting for more than two-thirds of the people living with HIV worldwide.