Right-wing policies threaten gender equality and health security

Young people call for all sexual and reproductive health services including safe abortion rights

SHOBHA SHUKLA - CNS

Donald Trump's presidency is likely to have far-reaching consequences for sexual and reproductive health, bodily autonomy and human rights worldwide. He has already withdrawn USA's financial support to the UN health agency World Health Organization (WHO), and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will no longer share its invaluable expertise with the WHO. Also all ongoing (as well as future) projects funded by US Agency for International Development (USAID) have been put on immediate hold. Many of these are lifesaving health programmes, including those directly related to sexual and reproductive health services.

All this is going to have high-reaching negative impacts on global health, including access to sexual and reproductive health services. Under the regressive reimposition of the 'Global Gag Rule', organisations (outside the US) receiving any US funding cannot provide any services or information related to abortion, even with separate, non-US funding. This could result in fewer services for contraception, maternal health, and safe abortion and increase unintended pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and increased health risks putting millions of women around the world at risk, causing serious health complications and even deaths.

Young people are raising their voices against policies that are negatively impacting their sexual and reproductive health and rights and calling for youth friendly sexual and reproductive health services to be made available to all those in need.

"In Asia Pacific inequality, injustice and stigma continue to pose threats to the health and wellbeing of women and girls. They continue to face challenges in education and employment - going to school and getting a job, even access to decent facilities for menstrual hygiene. Many girls cannot go to school because they are not even able to menstruate with dignity," rues Lady Nancy Lisondra, Youth and Advocacy Advisor at International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF), East and South-East Asia and Oceania Regional office.

Adolescent pregnancy is another issue that needs to be tackled. It poses health risks to adolescent mothers and also limits their access to education and economic opportunities. Every year, there are over 3.7 million births to adolescent girls aged 15-19 in the Asia Pacific region. Adolescent fertility rates are fairly high in South East Asia at 43 births per 1,000 girls.

Across South Asia, over 2.2 million adolescent girls become mothers every year and over 6,500 adolescent girls die giving birth every year, according to an analysis by UNICEF, WHO and UNFPA.

Next Page  1  |  2  |  3  |  4

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).