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WGNRR Speaks Up! keeps members and partners informed about WGNRR's activities, conferences, resources, funding opportunities, solidarity, etc. It also gives members space to make announcements, request information or share points of view. Your contributions are welcome! Send them to office@wgnrr.org

WGNRR Speaks Up!

August 2014
Monthly e-update for partners and members of WGNRR
IN THIS ISSUE
WGNRR at Global and Regional SRHR Events Framing the Post-2015 Agenda: SRHR Campaigns:
SRHR as HR Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs) WGNRR Member in Action

Events, Resources & Opportunities

What's New at WGNRR?
Good news! WGNRR's member from Nigeria, Generation Initiative for Women and Youth Network (GIWYN), has received consultative status with ECOSOC! Congratulations!

WGNRR welcomed a new team member, Safi Kashindi, who is working as an intern in the African Office. Safi can be reached at safi@wgnrr.org.

WGNRR has started preparations for the September 28 Global Day of Action for Safe and Legal Abortion. As you might know this year's theme is Abortion Stigma, where we will mobilize and take action for a world free of abortion stigma! In the upcoming days we will send out information about the ways you can get engaged in September 28. Stay tuned!

We hope you will enjoy the newsletter!

In solidarity,
WGNRR Team
 

WGNRR at Global and Regional SRHR Events

WGNRR actively participates in regional and global events related to WGNRR’s focus areas (youth SRHR, sexual rights, access to safe abortion, and access to contraception) as one of its strategies for advocacy and networking.
Photo credit: Scott Cresswell
20th International AIDS Conference (AIDS 2014)
In July WGNRR’s Asia Programme Officer Marevic Parcon attended the AIDS 2014 Conference, where in addition to representing WGNRR, Marevic was also a part of the Women’s Networking Zone (WNZ), a community-led forum running parallel to AIDS 2014.

Marevic noted on AIDS 2014: "I was happy to be part of AIDS 2014 and WNZ. It is important that SRHR activists participate in HIV conferences to build bridges between SRHR and HIV movements". Marevic was particularly content with the WGNRR's session on SRHR of women living with HIV held in cooperation with the International Community of Women Living with HIV. The session focused on the ways donors could facilitate the integration of SRHR and HIV issues. Mr. Lambert Grijns, the Ducth Ambassador for SRHR & HIV/AIDS, and Mr. Murray Proctor, Former Ambassador for HIV of the Australian Government, spoke at the event and committed to engage with CSOs to strengthen partnerships for HIV prevention. For more highlights of AIDS 2014 please visit http://wgnrr.org/aids-2014/
PAC Consortium Webinar on Youth-Friendly Post-Abortion Care

As one of the members of PostAbortion Care (PAC) Consortium's Youth-Friendly PAC Task Force, WGNRR's Advocacy Officer Lara Cousins will be a guest speaker at the webinar Why Youth-Friendly PAC? Reasons, Resources, & Realities. The webinar will take place on Thursday, September 4 at 9:00am (EST) and will provide the rationale for focusing on youth as a key population for PAC services; situate youth-friendly PAC within the context of the human rights framework and government commitments; describe programmatic interventions to improve youth access to quality PAC; and provide an overview of existing PAC Consortium resources related to youth-friendly PAC. To register for the webinar, please CLICK HERE. For more information about the webinar, please CLICK HERE.

Framing the Post-2015 Agenda

WGNRR's work to push  for SRHR in the Post-2015 agenda, as well as helpful information on the New Development Agenda process for SRHR organizations
Preparations for the Beijing +20 Review in Asia and the Pacific

The third Session of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UN ESCAP) gathered member states to prepare for the Asian and Pacific Conference on Gender Equality and Women's Empowerment: Beijing+20 Review in November 2014. The draft outcome document of the November meeting was also discussed.

To facilitate the civil society engagement in the Beijing+20 review process, a Civil Society Steering Committee has been formed with broad representation of key constituencies, issues and sub-regions within Asia and the Pacific. WGNRR is part of the CSO steering committee for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) issues.

During the Third Session of the UN ESCAP civil society was able to deliver statements with specific asks on SRHR, gender equality, violence and conflict, women with disabilities, accountability, human rights and others. For more information about CSOs involvement in Beijing +20 review process, please click here.
WGNRR to Deliver Training for Mexican Judges
 
Next week, from September 2 to 4, 2014 WGNRR's Advocacy and Programme Manager Vanessa Coria will be delivering a training for more than 100 judges on human rights, SRHR and gender perspective in Mérida, Yucatán (México). The event will be hosted by the Judicial Power of Yucatán and UNASSE (Unidad de Atención Sicológica, Sexológica Educativa para el Crecimiento Personal A.C) - WGNRR's local partner.
Women's Major Group Assesses the SDGs

Women’s Major Group (WMG) released a STATEMENT assessing the OUTCOME DOCUMENT of the negotiations on the sustainable development goals (SDGs) and indicating 8 red flags. While recognising that the SDGs signified a step forward, WMG noted that they still lacked really ambitious targets critical for achieving women’s human rights and sustainable development, and ending inequalities.
Youth Representative to Speak at the General Assembly's Special Session
Ms. Dareen Abu Lail of Jordan, a member of and Y-PEER representative in the UNFPA's Youth Leadership Working Group (YLWG), will be among 5 representatives of non-governmental organisations holding ECOSOC status who will deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly's Special Session in September 2014. Together with other YLWG member organisations, WGNRR lobbied John W. Ashe, the President of the 68th General Assembly of the United Nations, to include a youth representative and is very pleased that the efforts were successful and that youth will have opportunity to voice their priorities regarding the ICPD beyond 2014. (Photo credit: YCSSR's CPD47 Youth Caucus Media Kit)
Resources and Upcoming Events on Post-2015





 

SRHR Campaigns

Information about WGNRR's campaigns, allies' campaigns & calls for solidarity
International Youth Day: SRHR is Critical for Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing
The theme of International Youth Day 2014 was “Youth and Mental Health” under the slogan "Mental Health Matters". On this day WGNRR joined activists worldwide in calling for efforts  to support young people’s mental health so they could live full and healthy lives. WGNRR issued a STATEMENT calling attention to the importance of full access to critical sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services, including safe and legal abortion, for young people’s mental health and wellbeing. (Photo Credit: World Bank / Curt Carnemark)
WGNRR Discusses Las 17 in the Mexican TV  Programme "Luchadoras"

Vanessa Coria, WGNRR's Advocacy and Programme Manager, was a guest on "Luchadoras", a Rompeviento TV program speaking about "Las 17", the 17 Salvadorian women serving sentences of up to 40 years for abortion-related cases. To watch the show, please go to www.rompeviento.tv
Calls for Action and Solidarity
Sign on to the Letter Urging to Reinstate Justified Abortion in the Philippines!

On August 19 Department of Justice (DOJ) of the Philippines announced the completion of Book 2 of the Criminal Code, which did not contain any exceptions to the total ban of abortion, despite the appeal of EnGendeRights and the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR) requesting the Department of Justice (DOJ) of the Philippines to reinstate the “justified abortions” in the DOJ Draft Criminal Code. Under the "justified abortion" clause abortion would be available in circumstances such as to save the life or protect the health of a pregnant woman, when pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, or in cases of fetal impairment.

In light of this EnGendeRights and the Center for Reproductive created a sign-on LETTER expressing concern about the failure of the DOJ to include exceptions despite overwhelming evidence of human rights violations as a result of the total criminal ban.

WGNRR urges its members, partners and allies to support this letter. If you like to be a signatory, please e-mail JJacob@reprorights.org.
No Loopholes for Rapists!

Sign a PETITION of Amnesty International USA demanding an end to discrimination against women and girl survivors of sexual violence. Specifically, the petition targets Tunisia and Algeria, where laws allow rapists to walk free if they marry their victim - if she's under 18. Also it calls to repeal the discriminatory provisions in Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian legislation that routinely deny justice for survivors of sexual violence.
Encourage Physicians in Your Country to Sign a Call for the Right to Abortion!

As part of efforts regarding Cairo +20, Médecins du Monde France (Mdm) launched an initiative urging physicians to sign a CALL (FRENCH, SPANISH, ENGLISH) for the right to abortion in the world. It aims to demonstrate that many doctors are convinced of the universality of this right, and are ready to mobilize in defense of this right at international level.

Physicians (and national & international associations representing physicians) wishing to join the call must send their country, name and title (their specialty) by September 10, 2014 to the following address: marielle.moizan@medecinsdumonde.net.
 
If for security reasons some physicians do not want their name to be published, MdM would still be happy to only register their specialty. In that case MdM will write for example “10 GPs and 15 gynecologists in country X who cannot give their names because of the law.”
 
Support Global Female Condom Day!

September 16 marks the third annual Global Female Condom Day – a day of education and advocacy dedicated to female condoms. Support this global day of action! Sign this form on behalf of your organization and join hundreds of other organizations demanding greater access to the female condom, an important and dynamic tool that can fight the spread of HIV, STIs and aid in family planning.
Young People, Share Your Views on Health Policies!

The Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health and Wellbeing invites youth health advocates aged 15-29 from around the world to share their perspectives on key youth health policy messages by completing an online survey (ENGLISH, FRENCH and SPANISH, Chinese and Arabic versions will be coming soon). Youth perspectives will inform the Commission’s work and shape the key messages that it provides to governments and other stakeholders on youth health policies. Your contribution is important because the messages the Commission will highlight are likely to influence policies that affect millions of youth around the world. Please complete the survey by September 5, 2014.

SRHR as HR

WGNRR's work to seek recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) as human rights (HR). Resolutions, statements, agreements, decision and actions that acknowledge SRHR as HR.
Photo credit: Lara Cousins (WGNRR)
IACHR and the Abortion Ban in El Salvador

On August 11-15th the 152nd Extraordinary Period of Sessions of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) took place in Mexico City. WGNRR's Advocacy and Programme Manager Vanessa Coria, together with representatives of the Agrupación Ciudadana por la Despenalización del Aborto en El Salvador, la Colectiva Feminista para el Desarrollo Local, the September 28 Campaign in LAC and the Center for Justice and International Law (CEJIL), participated in the IACHR hearing on the general situation of human rights in El Salvador, highlighting the injustices and human rights violations generated from the absolute criminalization of abortion in the country. The above civil society organizations also used this opportunity to further highlight the requested pardon of "Las 17," 17 Salvadoran women imprisoned as a result of the current national legislation. 

Tracy Robinson, Chair of the Commission and Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women, flagged the absolute ban on abortion in El Salvador as jeopardizing women's right to health and expressed her concern about the impact of the criminalisation of abortion on all grounds on women's human rights in El Salvador.
 
WGNRR and Partners Submitted A Shadow Report on Women's SRHR in the Dominican Republic

The SHADOW REPORT (in Spanish) was presented to the Inter American Commission of Women of the Organization of American States in response to the follow up report of the recommendations made by the Committee of Experts of the Belem do Pará Convention Mechanism to the States. The shadow report highlights the different types of violence against women and its relation with the access to sexual and reproductive rights. It also explained how the Dominican Republic violates women's rights as a consequence of the total prohibition of abortion in the country.
 
WGNRR Conducts a Capacity Building Workshop on Abortion Stigma

WGNRR’s Africa Programme Officer Nondo Ejano in cooperation with Florence Nabweteme from Centre for Health Human Rights and Development (CEHURD) conducted a capacity building workshop for Ugandan SRHR activists and advocates. The workshop focused on stigma reduction and was a part of an on-going WGNRR’s Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) project aimed at building and strengthening advocacy on safe and legal abortion. During the workshop participants learnt about the factors that contribute to the unsafe abortion and abortion stigma in Uganda, acquired knowledge on existing abortion policy and reproductive health standards and guidelines in the country and were given recommendations on addressing abortion stigma in the Ugandan context. Working in groups the participants developed a plan on dealing with the abortion stigma, which included such actions as documenting and consolidating unsafe abortion cases and engaging media to initiate debate on unsafe abortion and the need to address it.

Women Human Rights Defenders (WHRDs)

Highlights of issues that SRHR activists, advocates and defenders face as a result of their work.
 


Participate in EROTICS survey!

The Association for Progressive Communications and its Women’s Rights Program are inviting you to participate in a survey on Internet regulation undertaken within the framework of its EROTICS project. This survey aims to find out how activists working on sexuality rights use the Internet in their work, and what difficulties they face in using it freely and fully. So if you are an LGBT activist, SRHR activist, women's rights activist, a queer blogger or a feminist, please take 15 minutes to fill in their survey  by September 12, 2014 in any of the following languages: ENGLISH, SPANISH, FRENCH, ARABIC, CHINESE, PORTUGUESE, RUSSIAN, HINDI, BAHASA INDONESIA.

WGNRR Member in Action

Every month we will feature at least one member organization or individual to facilitate sharing of experiences and information among members and encourage collaboration.
Development of People's Foundation - WGNRR member from the Philippines

The Development of Peoples Foundation, Inc. (DPF) is a non-governmental, non-profit organisation based in the Davao City in the Philippines and established in 1969 by a group of Catholic activists. Guided by Paulo Freire’s principle of liberating the oppressed, DFP aims to improve the health and socioeconomic conditions of the urban slum dwellers. DPF mission is to empower marginalised groups by providing integrated reproductive health (RH) care, to mainstream gender and RH and to develop leaders for RH and gender equality advocacy.
 
Currently DPF works on the following campaigns and projects:
  • Adolescent Sexual and Reproductive Health
  • No to Privatization of Public Hospitals
  • Popularization of Republic Act 2012 or Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Act
In advocacy for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) DFP meets with a strong opposition from the Catholic Church. Further challenges in advancement of SRHR are posed by the backward mind-set of the local authorities, limited resources and lack of youth advocates. However, there are also signs of progress. Progressive lay members organised into a group called Catholics for Reproductive Health. Mayor of the Davao City allocated resources for modern contraception. The public is open to discussion on sex, sexuality and reproductive health, but abortion, while recognized as a public health problem, is still frowned upon.
 
For campaigning and awareness raising DFP often uses dance protest and community theater. These tools are preferred as they attract more attention and interest both from the public and the media than any other tool.
 
For more information about the organisation, please see DFP’s leaflet (PAGE1, PAGE2).
 

Events, Resources and Opportunities
Connect with WGNRR in Your Region
If you would like to know more about what’s happening in your region, please coordinate with WGNRR staff in your region:
Africa - Nondo (nondo@wgnrr.org)
Asia Pacific - Marevic (marevic@wgnrr.org)
Europe - Aiste (aiste@wgnrr.org)
Latin America and the Caribbean - Vanessa (vanessa@wgnrr.org)
North America - Lara (lara@wgnrr.org)
 
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