- Recent decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and regional consensus on care oblige States to start the year with concrete actions on sexual and reproductive rights.
The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to take up pending human rights commitments. In Latin America and the Caribbean, one of them is to recognize and guarantee abortion as part of the right to self-care, an indispensable condition for the dignity, autonomy and health of individuals.
Over the past year, the region has made progress on fundamental consensuses. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, through its Advisory Opinion 31recognized care as an autonomous human right, which includes the right to care, receive care and take care of oneself. This standard establishes that States must ensure conditions, time and access to services that allow people to develop their life project with autonomy, including sexual and reproductive health services.
Along the same lines, the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed that it is not possible to build care societies without guaranteeing effective access to reproductive rights. The consensus was clear: contraception and abortion are essential components of any comprehensive model of care.
“The year begins with clear consensus on human rights. The question is no longer whether abortion is a matter of care, but when will States guarantee it? “said Marisol Escudero MartÃnez, deputy director of Advocacy at Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean (Ipas LAC).
Recognizing abortion as a form of self-care makes it possible to approach it from a perspective of dignity and wellbeing, and also makes visible the work of care historically sustained by women and communities that accompany sexual and reproductive health processes. At the same time, it reinforces the state’s obligation to guarantee timely and quality care, especially for those who face the greatest barriers to access.
Self-managed abortion, when performed with reliable information and access to medications recommended by the World Health Organization, is a safe and effective practice. Ensuring access to this information and these supplies is a concrete measure to protect health, prevent unsafe practices and strengthen reproductive autonomy.
“To start the year ignoring these consensuses would be a step backward.“, noted Mara Zaragoza, Ipas LAC’s Deputy Director of Strengthening. “Recognizing abortion as self-care is not a concession, it is an obligation stemming from the right to care and health“.
Ipas LAC calls on the States of the region to begin the year with concrete actions: strengthening regulatory frameworks, guaranteeing accessible sexual and reproductive health services, and eliminating barriers that prevent people from deciding about their own bodies. Dignified life and social justice can no longer wait.
- Recent decisions of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights and regional consensus on care oblige States to start the year with concrete actions on sexual and reproductive rights.
The beginning of a new year is an opportunity to take up pending human rights commitments. In Latin America and the Caribbean, one of them is to recognize and guarantee abortion as part of the right to self-care, an indispensable condition for the dignity, autonomy and health of individuals.
Over the past year, the region has made progress on fundamental consensuses. The Inter-American Court of Human Rights, through its Advisory Opinion 31recognized care as an autonomous human right, which includes the right to care, receive care and take care of oneself. This standard establishes that States must ensure conditions, time and access to services that allow people to develop their life project with autonomy, including sexual and reproductive health services.
Along the same lines, the XVI Regional Conference on Women in Latin America and the Caribbean reaffirmed that it is not possible to build care societies without guaranteeing effective access to reproductive rights. The consensus was clear: contraception and abortion are essential components of any comprehensive model of care.
“The year begins with clear consensus on human rights. The question is no longer whether abortion is a matter of care, but when will States guarantee it? “said Marisol Escudero MartÃnez, deputy director of Advocacy at Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean (Ipas LAC).
Recognizing abortion as a form of self-care makes it possible to approach it from a perspective of dignity and wellbeing, and also makes visible the work of care historically sustained by women and communities that accompany sexual and reproductive health processes. At the same time, it reinforces the state’s obligation to guarantee timely and quality care, especially for those who face the greatest barriers to access.
Self-managed abortion, when performed with reliable information and access to medications recommended by the World Health Organization, is a safe and effective practice. Ensuring access to this information and these supplies is a concrete measure to protect health, prevent unsafe practices and strengthen reproductive autonomy.
“To start the year ignoring these consensuses would be a step backward.“, noted Mara Zaragoza, Ipas LAC’s Deputy Director of Strengthening. “Recognizing abortion as self-care is not a concession, it is an obligation stemming from the right to care and health“.
Ipas LAC calls on the States of the region to begin the year with concrete actions: strengthening regulatory frameworks, guaranteeing accessible sexual and reproductive health services, and eliminating barriers that prevent people from deciding about their own bodies. Dignified life and social justice can no longer wait.