UNB, Dhaka :
The United Nations Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice has called on Governments to take urgent, immediate and effective steps to address the global challenge of safeguarding women’s right to health, including their reproductive and sexual health.
In a new report to the UN Human Rights Council, the expert panel documents how the use of women’s bodies as instruments for political, cultural, religious and economic purposes represents a major obstacle to the wellbeing and safety of women.
It also highlights that women’s empowerment is intrinsically linked to their ability to control their reproductive lives, according to a message received here from Geneva on Friday night.
“Throughout their life cycle, women’s bodies are often instrumentalized and their biological functions and needs stigmatized,” noted human rights expert Frances Raday, who currently heads the expert group.
“The instrumentalization of women’s bodies lies at the heart of discrimination against women, obstructing their achievement of the highest attainable standard of health.”
The Working Group defines instrumentalization as the subjection of women’s natural biological functions to a politicized patriarchal
agenda. “Understanding and combatting the instrumentalization of women’s bodies and its detrimental impact on women’s health, is crucial for change to occur,” stressed the expert.
The Working Group found manifestations in all regions of instrumentalization, taboos regarding menstruation, breastfeeding, menopause and stereotypes which result in harmful practices such as female genital mutilation or which have a negative impact on women’s body image, leading to their seeking invasive cosmetic procedures.
“Instrumentalisation and politicisation of women’s reproductive and sexual health result in women paying a high price in terms of their health and lives,” said the expert.
“In some countries, as a result of retrogressive anti-abortion laws, women are imprisoned for having had a miscarriage, imposing an intolerable cost on the women, their families and their societies.”
“We are particularly concerned about the use of criminal sanctions to control women’s autonomous decision-making over their bodies and their lives”, Raday underscored.
The Working Group points out that criminalization of abortion subjects women to serious risks to health or life.
The United Nations Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice has called on Governments to take urgent, immediate and effective steps to address the global challenge of safeguarding women’s right to health, including their reproductive and sexual health.
In a new report to the UN Human Rights Council, the expert panel documents how the use of women’s bodies as instruments for political, cultural, religious and economic purposes represents a major obstacle to the wellbeing and safety of women.
It also highlights that women’s empowerment is intrinsically linked to their ability to control their reproductive lives, according to a message received here from Geneva on Friday night.
“Throughout their life cycle, women’s bodies are often instrumentalized and their biological functions and needs stigmatized,” noted human rights expert Frances Raday, who currently heads the expert group.
“The instrumentalization of women’s bodies lies at the heart of discrimination against women, obstructing their achievement of the highest attainable standard of health.”
The Working Group defines instrumentalization as the subjection of women’s natural biological functions to a politicized patriarchal
agenda. “Understanding and combatting the instrumentalization of women’s bodies and its detrimental impact on women’s health, is crucial for change to occur,” stressed the expert.
The Working Group found manifestations in all regions of instrumentalization, taboos regarding menstruation, breastfeeding, menopause and stereotypes which result in harmful practices such as female genital mutilation or which have a negative impact on women’s body image, leading to their seeking invasive cosmetic procedures.
“Instrumentalisation and politicisation of women’s reproductive and sexual health result in women paying a high price in terms of their health and lives,” said the expert.
“In some countries, as a result of retrogressive anti-abortion laws, women are imprisoned for having had a miscarriage, imposing an intolerable cost on the women, their families and their societies.”
“We are particularly concerned about the use of criminal sanctions to control women’s autonomous decision-making over their bodies and their lives”, Raday underscored.
The Working Group points out that criminalization of abortion subjects women to serious risks to health or life.
