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This is our second and latest bulletin of 2025. It offers a broad overview of events and trends in gender, sexuality, and abortion policy throughout the year to complement the analysis developed in July that addressed the policies implemented by the Trump’s second administration and the US landscape.

L’Associació de Drets Sexuals i Reproductius, an organization that works directly with young people and women at the community level to defend their sexual and

In June 2019, we published a special issue on the first 180 days of the Bolsonaro administration. Six years later, we take on the challenge

Image: Angelica Alzona/Guardian Design The Far Right’s Campaign to Explode the Population – Politico The push for women to have more children has a powerful

Analysis The Anti-Trans Executive Orders – Signs Journal The Human Toll of Trump’s Anti-Trans Crusade – American Civil Liberties Union Trump on DEI And Anti-Discrimination

A book by Sonia Corrêa in collaboration with Rebecca Reichmann. Access it below or download it here.

In 2024, more than 60 countries held or will hold elections at different levels of government. The contests aren’t only about who gets elected, but

Introduction Once again, our newsletter brings you news and analysis about the current times, which are more somber than bright: authoritarian trends, the continued expansion

Sonia Corrêa In April 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of Faith, the main doctrinal body of the Holy See, published the Declaration Dignitas Infinita. This

by Sonia Corrêa Introduction I was motivated to write this commentary after reading a series of articles that revisit the conditions in which a transnational

In 2024, more than 64 countries will have elections at different levels*. These disputes are both electoral and about the meaning of democracies. They will

English PM Donald Tusk faces uphill battle on reforming Polish abortion rights – France 24 Letter From Poland – The Nation Taking back Polish democracy

Originally from Jamil Chade,UOL columnist in Geneva.  Translation to English by Giulia de Vito ______________________ Civil society organisations have appealed to the United Nations, asking international

>> Download and read in PDF << First Words This edition of the SPW newsletter covers the main events in sexual politics since July, roughly

By Françoise Girard On November 13, 2023, in New York City, I had the privilege of interviewing the brilliant Rosalind P. Petchesky, professor emerita of

>>> Read/download in PDF <<< Opening Words This newsletter describes and seeks to contextualize the developments in sexual politics since February 2023. In times of

One Year, 61 Clinics: How Dobbs Changed the Abortion Landscape – NY Times  The Hell of Providing Health Care in a Post-Dobbs America – Mother

On April 11th and 12th, the seminar “Mapping and resisting the gender phantasm in Latin America: geographies of ‘anti-gender’ movements” took place in Rio de

>> Read in PDF << First words In 2022, we adjusted our perspective for monitoring and analyzing sexual politics. In the previous two years, our

Reproductive and sexual health policies have long mobilised religious and political forces. In this interview conducted in September of 2021, Brazilian feminist activist and researcher

>> Download as PDF << Preface Due to its relevance in Brazil and the rest of the world, we rescheduled the publication of our newsletter

By Tomás Ojeda Thank you, Sonia, and hello everyone. Thanks for being here with us at the launch of the English version of these case

SPW has launched the English version of our latest research. The e-book “Anti-Gender Politics in Latin America in the Pandemic Context” presents the results of

SPW has launched the e-book “Antigender Policies in Latin America in the Pandemic Context”. ⁠ The e-book presents the results of the second research phase

English US midterm elections: Democrats retain control of Senate as House race still undecided – as it happened – The Guardian Red Tsunami? More Like

By Sonia Corrêa. These notes on the end of the Bolsonaro government are brief and very preliminary. As I was writing I was just adjusting to the atmosphere that started to be installed in Brazil on Sunday. To be more precise, last night when it became clear that, despite a cowardly and deplorable statement and last-minute coup attempts, we began a new political cycle. I will start sharing my sentiments and not objective information. My feeling today November 2nd 2022 is very different from the one that seized me, in 2018, when, in the wake of the astonishing electoral process that elected Bolsonaro to the presidency, I was overtaken by a productive anger. It made me immediately sit down and write an essay that, inspired an article by Celso Rocha Barros published that same day, I have titled  “Brazilian Elections: Perfect Catastrophe?”

In early July, we issued the Spanish version of our sexual politics bulletin, published in Portuguese and English in early June.  More complete and updated,

The philosopher and gender theorist says the restriction of abortion rights is part of a project to restore patriarchy. By Alona Ferber The fallout from the

See our playlist featuring SPW co-chair Sonia Corrêa dedicated to analysing the roots, meanings and effects from the overturning of the constitutional right to abortion

As predicted since December, when a public hearing on the Dobbs case took place, on June 24th 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court, overturned the right

>>> Read in PDF  First Words Since April 2020, SPW newsletters have been tracking and analyzing sexual politics in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last monday (May 2), an initial draft majority opinion, written by US Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito and leaked by Politico, unveiled what has long been considered credible: the Court has voted to overturn Roe v. Wade 1973 landmark ruling, that granted constitutional ground to the right of abortion. SPW is gathering – in English, Spanish  and Portuguese – assessments and analysis on the background and implications of the draft.

Anti-abortion trend: macro and political analysis If Roe v. Wade Is Overturned, What’s Next? – New Yorker 2022 State Legislative Sessions: Abortion Bans and Restrictions

>>> Download the PDF version here. First Thoughts The last 2020 SPW special hypothesized that during 2021, because of vaccines, Covid-19 would no longer be

Landmark Decision on Colombia Abortion Rights – Human Rights Watch Statements from the Center for Reproductive Rights on the Constitutional Court Decision Decriminalizing Abortion in

In September 2021, the Chinese government released the new policy guideline on women, namely “Program for Women and Development (2021-2030)”. In the area of “Women

Since July, when we published our last Special Edition, as you will see in this issue, a lot has happened in the pandemic and in the field of sexual politics. Once again, the pages that follow are quite dense, but we remind you that the sections are relatively autonomous.

Video prepared as a tribute to the launching of the Brazilian version of the book “Our bodies, ourselves”, presented at the book launch event, a

The Covid-19 pandemic has changed the face of the world as we knew it. The lives of whole societies were put on hold, almost all

The Tate Britain Museum of Art is featuring a retrospective of the Portuguese artist Paula Rego, whose paintings and ideas SPW periodically revisit to illustrate

First Words  In the last 2020 edition of Sexual Politics in Times of Pandemic Special of 2020, we hypothesized that throughout 2021, with the arrival

After more than two years in the making, the first volume of “Nossos Corpos por Nós Mesmas,” has arrived! The book, a Brazilian Portuguese adaptation of “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” covers topics including anatomy and sexuality, birth control, abortion, body image, safer sex and violence against women.

A 33-meter open red vulva was dug in the lands of the Usina de Arte, a gallery located in the South Forest of Pernambuco. According

Preliminary comment In 2020, in order to adjust our lenses to COVID-19 world conditions, we suspended our regular monthly announcements and started a series of

by Thais Rodrigues and Edson Sardinha* Brazilian conservative and extreme-right parliamentarians are planing to take advantage of the new presidency of the House, MP Arthur

With the contribution and/or endorsement of 100 academics from universities such as Harvard, Brown and Columbia, and of organizations such as Greenpeace USA, Amazon Watch,

Derechos en riesgo: la cruzada antigénero en América Latina y el Caribe Línea del tiempo de las políticas antigénero – Wambra Telemedicina: la última tensión

ANTI-GENDER POLITICS IN LATIN AMERICA Country Case Studies Summaries ABSTRACTS (Download here: https://sxpolitics.org/GPAL/ )   “Gender Ideology”, Catholic Neointegrismo, and Evangelical Fundamentalism: The Anti-Democratic Vocation

Journal Social Science & Medicine Volume 270, February 2021 by Clare Wenhama, Camila Abagarob, Amaral Arévaloc, Ernestina Coasta, Sonia Corrêad, Katherine Cuéllare, Tiziana Leonea, Sandra

Go to the conference website

Argentinian MP Ofelia Fernandez: ‘Being a feminist means being on the side of history’ – France 24 Argentina moves closer to historic abortion legalization –

In the Battle Over Abortion, Polish Feminists with Disabilities Are Claiming Their Rights – Ms. Magazine “They’re uncompromising”: How the young transformed Poland’s abortion protests

A 10-Year-Old Girl’s Ordeal to Have a Legal Abortion in Brazil – HRW Brazil 10-year-old rape victim name anti-abortion activist put online make pipo vex

Paul B. Preciado: The Hot War – e-flux Pompeo’s Legacy Of Partisanship And Wading Into Political Waters – NPR Brazil Joins Egypt, Indonesia, Uganda, Hungary

Since 2013, Pope Francis I has been making unexpected comments about homosexuality, which usually call for compassion and tolerance. While these speech acts erupt here

Editors’ Note We apologize to our readers and partners for the delay in making our last Special Issue on Sexual Politics in the Pandemic available.

We hope the series Anti-Gender Politics with English subtitles can be a resource for organizations and collectives to inform about the order of the attack

Proposition Number Year Author Party Federative Unit PL 478/2020 478 2007 Luis Bassuma PT BA PL 3406/2019 3406 2019 Eduardo Girão PODE CE

CONGRESS Proposition Number Year Author Party Federative Unit PEC 164/2012 164 2012 Eduardo Cunha and others PMDB RJ PEC 181/2015 181 2015 Aécio Neves PSDB

Proposition Number Year Author Party Federative Unit Object INC 443/2020 443 2020 Chris Tonietto PSL RJ Recommends the Supreme Court to dismiss the bill that

We have updated our position to align with evolving international human rights law and standards, to make it as inclusive as possible, and to ensure it addresses the full range of barriers that impede access to safe abortion and the full range of human rights violations due to criminalization of abortion.

SPW dearly congratulates our friend and Steering Committee member, Rosalind Petchesky, for receiving the New Political Science Charles A. McCoy Career Achievement Award, a more

By Sonia Corrêa Since 1940, Brazilian law has permitted abortion in cases of rape,  and sexual intercourse with persons under 14 years old is automatically 

  Global Public Health Special Issue: (Re)imagining Research, Activism, and Rights at the Intersections of Sexuality, Health, and Social Justice Guest Editors: Debolina Dutta, Laura Murray,

Rio de Janeiro,  August 21st,  2020 Open Letter addressed to Dr. Tlaleng Mofokeng as the new United Nations Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone

On Monday, June 15th, anti-gender activist Sara Winter was arrested in Brasilia in a Federal Police operation. Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes issued a

As part of DAWN’s webinar series DAWN Talks on COVID-19, Sonia Corrêa shares a piece she wrote especially for DAWN on COVID-19 biopolitics from a

Since the Covid-19 pandemic broke out in early 2020, SPW has been reporting on the events, trends and dynamics triggred by Sars-Cov-2. In order to

Since January, when the Chinese government adopted extreme confinement measures in Wuhan,  the pandemic sparked the worldwide spread of questionable war semantics.  It also provided

The global scenario of the COVID-19 pandemic has changed since April, but the crisis is still far from over. Only eight countries are listed as

The SPW Announcement for May and early June 2020 will have the same format adopted in March-April 2020, it will organize the newly compiled information

By David Patternote (Université libre de Bruxelles)[1] On 13 February 2019, the European Parliament adopted a resolution “on experiencing a backlash in women’s rights and gender equality

On 5 June 2020, the Interim Minister of Health, General Eduardo Pazuello, dismissed Flávia Andrade Nunes Fialho, Coordinator of Women’s Health, and Danilo Campos da

 GENDER UNDER ATTACK Europe Romania International Call Against the Teaching of Gender Ban in Romania – The Gender International Controversies Over Law Banning Any Reference

MAY / JUNE  Domestic violence It is ‘all men’, to varying degrees: men’s violence against women is a systemic crisis – The Guardian Can domestic

March and early April 2020 It has been very challenging to prepare the  SPW announcement for March/April 2020 due to the abnormality, risks, and losses

By Sonia Corrêa[1] But, people die, don’t they? Yes, indeed. However, the current naturalization of death erases thinking – Santiago López Petit In the first week of

MAY / JUNE Hospital’s COVID-19 Policy Separated Native American Mothers From Their Newborns – Truthout Denied beds, pain relief and contact with their babies: the

English Trump, Bannon y Cañizares: los lobbies ultrarreligiosos alimentan la teoría de la conspiración abortista del coronavirus – el diario The Coronavirus Is Cutting Off

SPW begins a series of brief analyses of the Covid-19 crisis in contexts that are generally under-reported by the mainstream press and which are characterized

Navigating the Heteronormative Household: Rabenmutter, Racism and Covid-19 – Feminist Review ‘Calamitous’: domestic violence set to soar by 20% during global lockdown – The Guardian

Anti- gender politics in Latin America – SPW is pleased to announce the collection Anti-gender Politics in Latin America, which encompasses  nine case studies from

International Women’s Day – a spotlight on gender and development – IDS Why I’ll be striking for International Women’s Day – OpenDemocracy In Kazakhstan, women

The year of 2019 has finished and, as traditionally, SPW offers our readers and followers a compilation of the main facts, trends, setbacks and victories

International Conference on Population & Development+25 – International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion Conservative protests against global development conference in Kenya fail to

Brazilian outlet AzMina faces criminal complaints, online harassment over abortion article – CPJ Jornalistas são alvos de ataques em redes sociais após publicação de reportagem

Editorial Moving the ICPD agenda forward: challenging the backlash Gita Sen, Eszter Kismödi, Anneka Knutsson Commentaries  The battle for sexual and reproductive health and rights

HIGHLIGHTS Latin America: Politics in Trance In the period covered by this newsletter, Latin America has been the scene of three simultaneous elections – in

“I am delighted to let you know that as part of our Human Rights Day celebrations, we have just published the December 2019 issue of

Au sein du Festival des Libertés, qui a eu lieu à Bruxelles, Belgique, la coordinateur du SPW, Sonia Corrêa, a participé du débat Désordre dans

By Jaime Barrientos, Facultad de Psicología, Universidad Alberto Hurtado, Chile, and Manuel Cárdenas, Escuela de Psicología, Universidad Valparaíso, Chile. In Chile, at the beginning of

Nairobi, November 14th, 2019. Gathered at the Nairobi Summit to celebrate the twenty-fifth anniversary of the International Conference in Population and Development (Cairo, 1994), the

The world has undergone several changes in recent decades, such as declining population growth, aging populations, increased external and internal migratory movements, epidemiological transition, rising

September 28 – “Abortion is a Health Issue” was the theme of this year’s International Safe Abortion Day, widely celebrated around the world (see compilation).

All states must ensure access to safe and legal abortion as a matter of human rights, say UN experts – OHCHR Demanding Reproductive Rights on

We start this announcement recalling that, before May 2019, two major antigender events have taken place that are worth revisiting because of their potential subsequent

May 2018 Monthly briefing Sexual politics in May 2018 – SPW Original articles Political mythology on abortion and trans men | Blas Radi – SPW

#StopTheBans – Thousands of demonstrators marched in more than 500 cities across the US on May, 21th to protect abortion rights after Alabama state house passed,

With great pleasure, SPW offers an assessment of sexuality and gender politics, including abortion rights, in the first (almost) six months of the Jair Messias

By Sonia Corrêa What has been happening, since January,  in the Brazilian Congress regarding abortion rights and gender must be situated in a longer political.

By Rajnia de Vito and Marco Aurélio Prado In a political scene that is thoroughly saturated with sex and gender tropes and memes, Damares Alves,

Buenos Aires, July 31th, 2019 Thank you very much, Mr. Secretary, and good afternoon to all. We very much celebrate this space and hail the

Highlights Algeria and Sudan: A revived Arab Spring? –  Almost six years after the Arab Spring waned under the shadows of the Sissi regime, political

By Larissa Arroyo Navarrete* The 25 April 2019 was a historical day for sexual and reproductives rights in Costa Rica. On this date, the Ministry

Access all e-books and working papers of this project at: https://sxpolitics.org/trendsandtensions/ Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) would like to re-launch the fourth publication of its most

About the publication The right to found a family is a fundamental right recognized by many international treaties and conventions. This is an evolving right, indicating

The Christchurch attack In Christchurch, New Zealand, a solitary white male Australian sniper killed fifty people who were praying in two mosques. Prime Minister Jacinda

Christian right summit in Verona draws massive protest – The Guardian Women cross borders to confront the far right in Italy – openDemocracy International anti-LGBT,

This article was originally published in ProPublica. A pro-life license plate on a car in Montgomery, Ala. (William Widmer, special to ProPublica) 1973 U.S. Supreme Court

#Hail International Women’s Day 2019: struggle, endurance, resistance! #Eyes on Brazil From an insider´s point of view, observing Brazilian politics after January 1st is like being caught

SPW has compiled news, articles and assessments on the first two months of Brazilian far-right new administration and its setbacks and worrying moves, in various fronts such as Education, Foreign Affairs, Health, Human Rights and corruption scandals.

Dear Expert Committee on the Selection and Use of Essential Medicines, We were very glad to learn that the WHO Maternal and Perinatal Health &

Supreme Court Halts Closure of Abortion Clinics in Louisiana – Center for Reproductive Rights We Can Thank Kavanaugh for Roberts’ Decision to Temporarily Block Louisiana’s

As 2018 reaches its end, SPW publishes a recollection of main events, trends, discoveries and challenges as we start 2019 and prepare for all the

3rd Abortion & Reproductive Justice Conference: The Unfinished Revolution | Decriminalisation of Abortion, Medical Abortion and Advocacy for Change At Rhodes University, Makhanda, South Africa, 9-12

On 14 November 2018, the Human Rights Council Working Group on the issue of discrimination against women in law and in practice issued a statement sharing

Read Sonia Corrêa’s article on the antecedents, outcomes and meanings of the 2018 Brazilian presidential elections.

The Brazilian perfect storm We apologize for the delay in the circulation of SPW’s October 2018 monthly announcement due to the stormy process and result

This fact sheet present figures of the results of the second round of the 2018 Brazilian presidential elections. The data comes from different sources: Items

September is the key moment of the year in the global struggle for abortion rights, as the 28th marks the International Safe Abortion Day. In

Articles Escalating global effort for safe legal abortion – HRW Joint Letter read at the 39th Session of the Human Rights Council – AWID How To

#MourningMuseuNacional: As this announcement was being finalized, the Brazilian National Museum burned in flames. A singular and irrecoverable collection of the country’s historical and cultural

By Angela Freitas Feminists, networks and organizations engaged in the struggle for the right to abortion in Brazil had two months to prepare a mobilization

Download Sonia Corrêa’s article on the public hearings for abortion decriminalization in Brazil — a landmark event in the feminist struggle for abortion rights.

Friday, 3 August 2018 Morning session, from 8:20 am to 1:30 pm 08:30 am Ministry of Health Dra. Maria de Fátima Marinho de Souza Dra.

On August 14, after much debate, controversy and anti-Islamic accusations by the conservative sectors of Algerian society, the 2018 Health Act finally came into force

PRESS RELEASE 9 August 2018 – Argentina: no turning back By International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion  Argentina’s Senate voted last night –

By Sonia Corrêa Last year, in London, I saw a superb retrospective of Bhupen Khakar the Indian painter who died in 2003. I was fascinated.

22nd International AIDS Conference:  On July 22, Pedro Villardi, from GTPI-ABIA, participated in the  Challenging Criminalization Globally Pre-Conference, one of the more important satellites events

Main global trends  ICD Reform – On June 18, the Working Group set up by the World Health Organization (WHO) released the final version of

Three Argentinean partners who work on gender, sexuality and abortion matters generously share their views on key undercurrents of the process leading to the partial

By Fábio Grotz and Sonia Corrêa A new chapter of the ongoing institutional debate on abortion rights in Brazil is scheduled for August 3rd and

4 ways Pedro Sánchez is copying the Trudeau playbook – Politico Spain: Pedro Sanchez promises to remove Franco’s remains from Valley of the Fallen mausoleum

Trump ‘Very Close’ to Supreme Court Decision, but May Wait Till Final Hours – The New York Times In Making His Second Supreme Court Pick,

Pope Calls Abortion ‘White Glove’ Equivalent of Nazi Crimes – The New York Times Argentina’s top bishop says abortion is ‘not a right, but a tragedy’

By Fábio Grotz Since early June, BBC Brazil — possibly with a view to feeding the national debate around ADPF 442/2017 or perhaps as a

By Sandra Mazo Cardona An inside look from gender and sexuality on the circumstances that led to Duque’s victory in the Colombian presidential elections On

New Global Health Guidelines a Victory for Transgender People – Human Rights Watch

“Decisions about your body, your health and your life belong to you, they are your rights, make them true.” These were the slogans of the

Nicaragua:  SPW calls attention to the violent political crisis sweeping through this small Central American country and expresses its solidarity with the Nicaraguan society that

Repeal Of Abortion Ban In Ireland Sets Off Calls For Change In Northern Ireland – National Public Radio As Ireland Joins Europe’s Sprint From Catholic

By Sonia Corrêa In the first week of November 2017, Judith Butler was viciously attacked in Brazil by a heterogeneous group of actors who define themselves as

Blas Radi (Universidad de Buenos Aires)[1] The sexual and (non) reproductive health of trans men is a challenging issue. In the first place, because it

Pro-Lifers Dismiss Pope’s Declaration that Protecting Migrants Is Just as Important as Abortion – Slate Pro-life leader: Pope Francis’ new exhortation ‘causes confusion’ on gravity

We gather here our monthly briefing writing efforts on the international context in regard to the state of the art and developments of abortion rights

Author: Richard Miskolci Abstract: The persecution of philosopher Judith Butler during her visit to Brazil in late 2017 revealed the power of the ghost of

On 11 December 2017, Intersex South Africa, the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, the Foundation for Human Rights and Iranti joined activists and members of

On March 14th, 2018, Marielle Franco and her driver Anderson Gomes were brutally assassinated in a shootout a week after Women’s International Day.  Marielle was

By Victoria Pedrido On March 20, five draft bills to pass the Voluntary Pregnancy Termination law were debated by Commissions in Parliament. Of those, one

The first half of 2017 has been a busy and growthful time for the SRJC. We have been storming, norming and forming a working team

Main global trends Another mass shooting in Parkland (Florida) shocked the US and the world. Research findings that gained visibility after the tragedy reveal that

By Sonia Corrêa Brazilian abortion and sexual politics continue ensnarled by the uncertainties of the overall political environment. On February 16th, a presidential decree determined

Ex-Miss Febem is the avatar of Aleta Valente, a Brazilian artist who lives in the peripheric neighborhood Bangu in Rio de Janeiro, where many correctional

Authors: Gabriela Arguedas Ramírez and Lynn M. Morgan Reference: Feminist Studies 43, no. 2. 2017 by Feminist Studies, Inc. Download the article here.

Argentine Women Demand Legalization of Abortion at Congress – TeleSur Argentine Protesters Demand Free, Legal and Safe Abortions – TeleSur Argentina president urges Congress to

On February 5 of 2018, Senator Magno Malta (PR) proposed to archive the draft bill (SUG) N. 15/2014 on the Commission of Human Rights and

“Reject RKUHP that Criminalizes Women, Children, Indigenous Peoples and Marginalized Groups”  We are women, housewives, workers, students, students, activists, and survivors of sexual violence who

In the 10th anniversary of the first issue of the International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education, UNESCO launches a revised edition. “Based on the latest

In January of 2018, a fierce transnational feminist controversy erupted on the question of sexual harassment. In the same week of the Golden Globes Award

Remembering Teresita De Barbieri who passed away on January 21, 2018. By Ana Laura de Giorgi Uruguayan, feminist and academically committed. First exiled in Chile, then

One year ago, in the preamble of March 8 when we celebrate International Women’s Day and women around the world historically articulate and promote strikes,

As 2018 begins, SPW highlights the main events and trends as well as tensions and challenges traversing sexual politics worldwide. Trends and Facts January In

In Europe, the rise of the extreme right – which implies both the deepening of racism and a threat to gender and sexuality-related rights –

BRUSSELS, 24 November – The EPF Executive Committee has written to the Parliament of Brazil expressing its strong concern at a proposed constitutional amendment which

Brazilian male MPs chant ‘abortion no’ after voting to ban terminations for pregnant rape victims – The Independent Brazilian Congressional committee votes to ban all abortions –

This letter was read at the closing session of the Special Meeting of the Presiding Officers of the Regional Conference on Population and Development in

By Rajnia de Vito and Angela de Freitas In order to properly situate sexual politics in Brazil (while paying special attention to abortion), we must

The IE SOGI mandate was created through UN Human Rights Council resolution A/HRC/RES/32/2 in June of last year and was confirmed through six separate votes

Below you will find the summary for the report of the Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity,

Table of Contents Special Section: Abortion and Human Rights GUEST EDITORS Alicia Ely Yamin, Paola Bergallo, and Marge Berer EDITORIAL Narratives of Essentialism and Exceptionalism:

Zika has disappeared from the headlines. Soon after the World Health Organization’s decision to declare the end of the global public health emergency in November 2016,

WHO/HRP and the Population Division of the UN Department of Social and Economic Affairs launched the Global Abortion Policies Database this morning at the 30th

In April and May, Brazilian crisis has deepened further more, prompting colossal political chaos which reverberated in sexual politics. Sonia Corrêa, SPW co-chair, assess the deep connections within the crisis regarding threats to abortion rights. Celebrations and good news came from around the world. In Bangkok, researchers and activists gathered

Donald Trump is dramatically expanding the federal government’s support for healthcare organisations that agree to not provide abortion services. Read more on the Independent. The

The past ten years have witnessed tremendous advances for HIV and lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, and intersex (LGBTI) rights globally, including the creation of an Independent Expert on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) mandate at the UN Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights.

Summerschool on Health Law and Ethics 2017 28 June – 7 July 2017 The Erasmus Observatory on Health Law / Institute of Health Policy &

In February, in Curitiba,  a woman was arrested when searching for care for incomplete abortion in an Evangelical hospital. In early March, in Pauí, a

In March and early April, the abortion frontline in Latin America has been remarkably eventful,  in positive ways. In Bolivia, the proposed revision of abortion

By Sonia Corrêa On March 7, a lawsuit (ADPF 442) was filed at the Brazilian Supreme Court to challenge the constitutionality of the Penal Code’s

There are many events to be reported in regard to abortion rights in February and early March 2017. The most important comes from  Brazil where

Originally posted at International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion, on Mar 3, 2017. Available here. A judge in the city of Mercedes, Soriano, has

In 2016, membership of the Campaign increased by 25% to 1,132 members in 113 countries. We coordinated and promoted the biggest and most influential International

The Constitutional Court decision rejected claims made by conservative groups and individuals that allowing women access to abortion on request was unconstitutional. In its decision, the court reaffirmed that women’s access to abortion is protected within their constitutional rights to liberty, personality, and privacy.

After two years, 25 of 28 sites provided abortion services, caring for more than 13,000 women during the intervention. For the first time, abortion was decentralized, 19% of all abortion care was performed in health centres. At the end of the intervention, all providing facilities had managers supportive of continuing legal abortion services. When asked about the impact of medical abortion provision, a number of providers reported that medical abortion improved their ability to provide affordable safe abortion.

A petition was filed today, 7 March 2017, with the Brazilian Supreme Court which calls for the decriminalization of abortion on request up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. The petition was filed by the Socialism and Freedom Party (PSOL), with support from Anis – Institute of Bioethics.

Despite legalization of abortion and expansion of services in Nepal, unsafe abortion is still common and exacts a heavy toll on women. Programs and policies to reduce rates of unintended pregnancy and unsafe abortion, increase access to high-quality contraceptive care and expand safe abortion services are warranted.

This initiative proves that, even where abortion is legally restricted and socially stigmatized, community-based organizations can publicly and openly share information about misoprostol and refer it to women by using innovative and effective strategies, without political backlash

In January, the first and foremost events to be reported are avalanche of draconian and regressive policy measures adopted in the chaotic first two weeks

Center for Reproductive Rights Statement on Nomination of Judge Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court Trump Nominates Birth Control Benefit Foe Neil Gorsuch to

By Sonia Corrêa In the first two weeks of his administration Donald Trump has opened a can of worms spreading around draconian and regressive conservative

With endorsement of the Republican Party, the Trump campaign openly disrespected and insulted more than half of the US population and this led to what can be described as a “pressure cooker effect”. After months of an unprecedented election season when Hillary and all women were mistreated by the candidate — who felt entitled to abuse his position– and sometimes also by the press; after outrageous remarks and threats to attack immigrants, Muslims, Mexican-Americans and the entire American population of African descent, the build up of outrage was steaming from coast to coast.

Massive and global women’s protest raged through the world and stormed the headlines in a historical action to protest and mark a clear standpoint against

In one of his first acts as president, Donald Trump has reinstated a federal ban on U.S. funding for international health organizations that counsel women

Once more, Happy New Year! There have been so many things we have been working on during the last months of 2016 that we want

The Committee on the Rights of the Child issued its new General Comment on Adolescents. Among other advancements, the new general comment: Recognizes that states

SC allows abortion of 24-week foetus, but why should women go to court in the first place? The Supreme Court on Monday permitted a woman

Barbaros Şansal, a Turkish fashion designer and LGBTI activist, is being held in pre-trial detention, as his request of appeal has been rejected. According to Amnesty International, which has launched an urgent action appeal, he is accused of ‘inciting the public to hatred or hostility’ for a video message and tweet he shared on social media on New Year’s Eve. In this clip, Şansal reportedly criticized people for celebrating the New Year at a time of large scale detention of journalists and widespread corruption.

As 2017 begins, SPW highlights the main events and trends as well as tensions and challenges traversing sexual politics worldwide. January In January, the Zika

The 24th issue of Sexualidad, Salud y Sociedad marks its eighth year of systematic publication and presents an expressive illustration of its central themes and objectives.

What are the relationships and interdependencies influencing the promises of being online: voice, visibility, and power? This ARROW for Change (AFC) issue on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and the internet documents some of these dynamics.

Newspapers and web-based news sites have carried a flurry of responses to the new abortion bill in Malawi, and has led the country’s president to deny

The African Population and Health Research Centre in Kenya has put together a free online database of more than 600 publications related to abortion in

Text by Nadje Al-Ali, Zahra Ali and Isabel Marler, originally published by Jadaliyya, on Dec 9, 2016. Avaliable here. After a long delay, the United

In 2006, a Polish woman named Justyna heard a rumor about a new abortion pill. The thirty-year-old mother of three was eleven weeks along in a

November began with a resounding shift in global politics: Donald Trump was elected president of the United States. As the reactions flooded through the world

Authored by Susan Wood, Lilián Abracinskas, Sonia Corrêa and Mario Pecheny, this article – based on a descriptive study of the context and political processes

In the midst of the conservative restoration that has swept Brazil in 2016, on November 29th, the First Chamber of the Brazilian Supreme Court – in which five of the eleven judges have a seat – has issued, an unexpected decision arguing in favor of decriminalization of abortion

By Mara Vivero. In this text I will present some elements on gender ideology, its antecedents and contemporary uses and secondly I will refer to the Colombian case, as one of the cases in which the term “gender ideology” has been used as part of a conservative rhetorical strategy to the constant interfaces between religious and political sectors that oppose the changes that have occurred in society in terms of gender and sexuality.

In the midst of the conservative restoration that swept Brazil in 2016, the First Chamber of the Brazilian Supreme Court, where five of the eleven

It’s been 26 years since abortion was decriminalised in Belgium on medical grounds up to 12 weeks of pregnancy. It was an enormous breakthrough, allowing women the autonomy to decide their life course. But 26 years later, abortion remains in the penal code as a crime against family order and public morals. Because it continues to be a criminal offence, the stigma remains, affecting the approaches a woman needs to make to obtain an abortion,

Originally posted at International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion, on Nov 17, 20116. Available here. Women denied the right to an abortion are

To celebrate both International Day of Action for Trans Depathologisation (22 October) and Intersex Awareness Day (26 October), SPW shares articles, news and campaigns aimed at

Last month a large number of events took place across the globe to mark September 28th as the Global Day of Action for Access to

September 2016 began under the government of Michel Temer, whose intermediary presidency governed Brazil from May to August while awaiting the results of the impeachment

Originally posted at the Sexual Rights Initiative’s website in 2016. Human Rights Council adopts resolution on preventable maternal mortality and morbidity and human rights in the

In Mexico and in Latin America the intersex community faces similar problems to those faced by intersex people elsewhere in the world, with some local quirks. Medical protocols still include genital mutilation, and these practices are justified as necessary to “normalize” genital appearance and so avoid problems in social interactions.

To celebrate the Global Day for Safe and Legal Abortion, SPW has collected news, analysis and actions from around the globe. Reflections from Our Countries

It also seemed to me that the general mood of pessimism came from the fact that most of the meeting’s participants were not digital natives, not exactly the ”globalized children”. This meant – again, with notable exceptions – that we still saw activism and policy advocacy

The six case studies presented in this publication—in Kenya, Kyrgyzstan, Ukraine, South Africa, and Zimbabwe—offer a look at real-life sex worker–led programming that has reduced police abuse, health risks, and other adverse impacts of bad laws and law enforcement on sex workers

From sex to race, classification is a tool of oppression. Particularly examining abuse directed at Caster Semenya, this article looks ahead this week’s AWID International Forum’s theme ‘Bodily Integrity and Freedoms’.

In August, the Rio Olympic Games provided a privileged stage for the critical observing of gender and sexuality performances. Several SPW partners positively and generously

Guest-edited by Tactical Tech, the 2016 AFC bulletin includes contributions from 16 sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and tech activists, researchers, and writers, who explore the relationships and interdependencies influencing the promises of being online: voice, visibility, and power; and look at the possibilities offered by technologies to SRHR work, amidst challenges related to access, the corporatisation of the internet, collusion between governments and technology companies, censorship, violations of privacy, sexism, and violence, amongst others.

by Franklin Gil Hernández [1]   The implementation of sexual and reproductive rights in Colombia can be described as ”half way done”. In all areas in

Originally published at the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion’s website on 30/08/2016 Available at: https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/news/supported-by-anis-anadep-files-petition-to-the-brazilian-supreme-court-for-protection-of-rights-violated-during-the-zika-virus-public-health-emergency/ A judicial constitutional review was filed before the

As soon as the Olympics were over, Rio — the city that projected the global image of a new Mount Olympus of fit and sensual

Although sexual and reproductive health services have become more available in humanitarian settings over the last decade, safe abortion services are still rarely provided. The authors’ observations suggest that four reasons are typically given for this gap: ‘There’s no need’; ‘Abortion is too complicated to provide in crises’; ‘Donors don’t fund abortion services’; and ‘Abortion is illegal’.

On 16 August, the Supreme Court of Justice of Tucumán in Argentina finally ordered that “Belén”, the young woman unjustly convicted of homicide after having had a miscarriage, should be released from prison, in the face of growing criticism by dozens of feminist, human rights, political and social organizations and the UN Human Rights Committee.

UN agencies supporting women’s rights have been asked today to send “a strong signal” to governments around the world by passing a resolution at this year’s UN General Assembly in September to make International Safe Abortion Day an official UN day. An Open Letter was sent to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the heads of UN Women, UN Development Programme, World Health Organization, UN Population Fund, UN Children’s Fund, UNAIDS, and UNESCO today.

This book sets out the ethical arguments for a woman’s right to choose. Drawing on the traditions of sociological thinking and moral philosophy, it maintains that there is a strong moral case for recognizing autonomy in personal decision-making about reproductive intentions. More than this, it argues that to prevent a woman from making her own choice to continue or end her pregnancy is to undermine the essence of her humanity.

Originally posted at the RHM (Reproductive Health Matters)Journal in 2016:  The forthcoming issue of RHM, which is produced in partnership with CREA, and co-edited with

The Women’s Legal Centre has published their report on Police Abuse of Sex Workers in South Africa. Their report shows that 414 sex workers reported various types of violence perpetrated by police between 2011 and 2015. Of those, 13 were sexually assaulted, 71 were physically assaulted, 152 were verbally assaulted, 192 were harassed, and 254 experienced some other form of abuse.

Originally posted at the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion‘s website on 08/08/2016. Available at: https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/news/cedaw-calls-on-philippines-to-provide-contraception-and-allow-safe-abortion-in-some-circumstances-then-president-duterte-announces-full-implementation-of-2012-rh-law/ Philippines President Duterte has announced the full implementation

The “Save the Women” Civic Committee has tabled a draft law in the Sejm, lower house of the Polish parliament, liberalizing the anti-abortion legislation in force in Poland since 1993. The draft law allows abortion on request until the 12th week of pregnancy, and improves access to contraception and sexuality education, After that abortion would be permissible along the same rules as those in effect today.

France is the 1st ever country to be reprimanded for IGM by 3 different UN treaty bodies, having previously been reprimanded by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in February 2016, and by the Committee against Torture (CAT) in May.

  Between July 12th and 15th, right before the Durban International AIDS Conference, SPW organized a seminar in Umhlanga, the Northern District of the City.

Originally posted by Susana T. Freid at Open Demoracy on 22/07/2016. Available at: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/crosstalk-linking-across-areas-of-criminalization/  In a moment of global attacks on civil society, an intersectional

The problem is ‘criminal law’ by Sonia Corrêa Using media and legal services for the defense of LGBT rights in Mexico   by Alejandro Brito Crosstalk:

Resurj, a global alliance of feminists advocating for sexual, reproductive and gender justice from across the globe, met in New York on April 16-17 2016

CHANGE has released its brand new report “All Women, All Rights, Sex Workers Included: U.S. Foreign Assistance and the Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights

The Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA) released today (20/07) “Myth vs. Reality: evaluating the Brazilian response to HIV in 2016”. The publication was showed in

The June 2017 issue of Health and Human Rights includes a special section on the intersections between abortion and human rights, and in particular the use of legal mobilization

Between May 2015 and September 2016, Sexuality Policy Watch has produced monthly brief reports on the Brazilian politics of abortion and sexuality in its connections

The proposal launched in May by the LAC 5 countries for the creation of a Special Mandate on Human Rights and Sexual Orientation and Gender

In June, 2016, as the impeachment of Dilma Roussef followed its course, it became increasingly evident that one of the strongest motivations of the power maneuvering that led to the April parliamentary coup was the interest of many of those supporting this move to strangle the ongoing investigations on corruption.

The past three decades brought important developments to the area of women’s access to abortion, especially with the advent of medical abortion methods. However, the

With Assisted Reproductive Technologies, science has managed to use technology to prise apart previous associations between reproduction and sex. With gender, class and queer theory, the social sciences have prised apart previous associations between gender and sex. We have found that knowledge through science, like knowledge of sexuality, can’t be pinned down to absolutes. “The more you know, the more you know you don’t know,” said Aristotle. While science may value the systematic and objective, it cannot escape the baffling convolutions of lived experience. How does life influence knowledge, and knowledge influence life?

In a defining vote, the United Nations Human Rights Council adopted a resolution on “Protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation, and gender identity”, to mandate the appointment of an Independent Expert on the subject.

A Major Victory for Abortion Rights – New York Times The Facts Win Out on Abortion – Linda Greenhouse – New York Times The Supreme

As we all know, the news is filled with discussions regarding the Zika virus, microcephaly, access to abortion, and women’s sexual and reproductive rights—sometimes from

As the Brazilian crisis continues unfolding it gets increasingly intricate with gender and sexuality politics. Read Sonia Corrêa and Fábio Grotz report on what happened

Originally posted at the SRI’s website on 2016. Available at: https://www.sexualrightsinitative.org/2016/hrc/sri-calls-for-political-and-legal-framing-that-recognizes-full-range-of-sexual-rights/  The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) is a coalition of organizations from Canada, Poland, India,

It is not exactly to keep track of the Brazilian political development these days. On May 11th, the Brazilian Senate confirmed the admissibility of the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff, which had been approved by the House on April 17th.

Two different protests, two different countries, but the same continent and the same cause: violence against women in “macho” Latin America.

In Indonesia, where abortion is illegal, many women undergo unsafe abortions putting their lives at risk. Other times, they are forced by doctors to engage in sexual intercourse in exchange for an abortion.

To the development community on International Day of Action for Women’s Health: don’t curtail our rights by legitimising conservative religious ideologies.

This essay looks at the complex relationship between the personal and the political in queer/LGBTIA+ organizing in Africa. It considers how current modes of organizing impact the connection between professional activism and grassroots participation and explores some of the consequences of these two intersecting factors for activist praxis.

DAWN is happy to make available these Regional Advocacy Tools on sexual and reproductive health and rights that have been part of our contribution to feminist mobilization for the 20th year review of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD). We engaged in this important review process at regional and global levels, through analysis and advocacy, and working with partners and colleagues in civil society and governments.

On the eve of the giant annual anti-abortion protest on Parliament Hill, the Justin Trudeau government has quietly removed a restriction that prevented federal foreign aid dollars being used for abortion services in other countries.

Originally from TGEU’s website, posted on 17/05/2016. Available at: https://tgeu.org/idahot2016statement/ On this International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia (IDAHOT) [1], with a special focus on

Originally posted on 13/05/2016 on the INTERNATIONAL CAMPAIGN FOR WOMEN’S RIGHT TO SAFE ABORTION’s website. Available at: https://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/news/ansirh-in-their-own-words-experiences-of-women-denied-abortions/  Even in countries with legal abortion, many

Malta is for now the EU’s last country where abortion is banned in all cases. While some are beginning to call for a public debate on women’s reproductive rights, the topic of abortion remains a highly sensitive issue in the archipelago.

Fernanda Doz Costa, researcher on the Americas, reports from a protest outside a court in Argentina where “Belen” returns after being sentenced to eight years following a miscarriage.

A new wave of deadly attacks against human rights and secular activists is at play in Bangladesh. In final April, two LGBT activists were hacked

Belén’s troubling abortion case in Tucumán, Argentina, demonstrates how institutions meant to care for and protect us instead regularly violate our rights—including the right to health, confidentiality, and due process.

Since our reports of early 2015, SPW has always linked developments in the abortion debate to the on-going Brazilian political and economic crisis. On April 17th, 2016, this crisis reached an initial point of culmination when the House of Representatives voted for and approved the admissibility of the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

Community sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services are well placed to deliver abortion assessment services and early medical abortion (EMA), but comparative data on safety and acceptability from both settings are important for future service planning.

Brazil has one of the most restrictive legislations in the world on abortion. Since 1940, abortion is only allowed in Brazil in cases involving either risk to the woman’s life or rape, and in cases of fetal anencephaly. Yet abortion is common despite these legal restrictions.

Source: http://endabortionstigma.org/en/Blog/2016/March/QualitativeSynthesis.aspx We are excited to share “Abortion Stigma Around the Globe”: A Qualitative Synthesis. After a review of literature and available resources, we discovered

This guide is a resource for advocates, trainers, project managers and technical advisors who design programs and workshops to engage police on abortion issues. Drawing

The longstanding provider-patient confidentiality relationship is quietly eroding as an alarming number of medical staff across Latin America are reporting women and girls to the

We have the great pleasure to inform that our Spanish page has been re-launched. In this opportunity Alejandra Sardá from Akahatá has written an update

During 2015, as previously reported by SPW, Brazilian abortion politics continued to evolve under pressures created by the unsettled intersection of regressive policy trends (which have been gaining strength since the mid 2000’s) and the macro-political crisis which has overtaken the Brazilian res publica.

Unsafe abortion is a significant but preventable cause of global maternal mortality and morbidity. Zambia has among the most liberal abortion laws in sub-Saharan Africa, however this alone does not guarantee access to safe abortion, and 30% of maternal mortality is attributable to unsafe procedures.

Originally posted at the Guttmacher’s Institute on 31/03/2016. Available at: https://www.guttmacher.org/news-release/2016/unsafe-abortion-common-tanzania-and-major-cause-maternal-death In the first nationally representative study of the incidence of abortion and the provision

Today the Equal Rights Trust has published volume sixteen of its biannual Equal Rights Review, an interdisciplinary journal offering analysis, insight and ideas to those promoting equality. This issue has a special focus on intersectionality.

To fight Zika we must fight poverty and powerlessness and ensure that women enjoy their rights.

Our sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are not only negatively affected by climate change but opportunities to realise SRHR offer a way to help mitigate the effects of and adapt to climate change.

Even Western babies can be nurtured in the bellies of foreign women — each one paid to endure pregnancy and the pangs of childbirth. Those arrangements, facilitated by the global surrogacy industry, have boomed in the past decade.
But there are signs that this trade in surrogate services is up against a formidable backlash.

In the most comprehensive study to date of contraceptive failure rates in the developing world, researchers found that overall, failure rates are lowest for users of longer-acting contraceptive methods (IUDs, implants or injectables), intermediate for users of shorter-acting methods (oral contraceptive pills or male condoms) and highest for users of traditional methods (withdrawal or calendar rhythm).

Marina” got pregnant at the age of 20 when she was living in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Abortion is illegal in the country, except in rare circumstances, but she knew she had to terminate. “I was young and ambitious,” said the now-31-year-old, who describes herself as upper middle-class. “I had so many career and travel plans. I couldn’t just become a mother at that point.”

The government of Uganda should stop impeding access to medical abortion and reproductive health services, according to the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights—a regional body charged with ensuring African states comply with their human rights obligations under regional and international human rights treaties.

Yesterday, 17 March, the House of Deputies of the Chilean Congress passed the abortion law reform bill tabled by President Michelle Bachelet and her coalition colleagues over one year ago, following a heated debate.

The Zika virus outbreak and the increase of babies being born with birth defects seemingly linked to the mosquito-transmitted disease have generated a series of prescriptions from governments of the most affected countries about what people need to do and not do. These include asking women to delay pregnancies—until 2018 in El Salvador, for example.

Every month RESURJ – a global alliance of feminists – members share and reflect on some news highlights affecting sexual and reproductive, environmental and economic

The UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights has published this week two General Comments: General Comment 22 on sexual and reproductive health and

Originally published on HRW on 08/03/2016. Available at: https://www.hrw.org/news/2016/03/08/dispatches-life-and-death-papua-new-guinea Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a dangerous place to be pregnant. It has one of the

GENEVA (8 March 2016) – The right to sexual and reproductive health is not only an integral part of the general right to health but fundamentally linked to the enjoyment of many other human rights, including the rights to education, work and equality, as well as the rights to life, privacy and freedom from torture, and individual autonomy, UN experts have said in an authoritative new legal commentary.

In February, there were good news to report from both Haiti and Europe. In the case of Haiti, the Penal Code reform is underway and

Read the article by Piyapa Praditpan and Kamheang Chaturachinda examining the situation of Thai women who, despite abortion being legal since the 1950s, continue to die from unsafe abortion.

Because of Nigeria’s low contraceptive prevalence, a substantial number of women have unintended pregnancies, many of which are resolved through clandestine abortion, despite the country’s restrictive abortion law. Up-to-date estimates of abortion incidence are needed.

Originally posted by the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion on 15/02/2016. Available at: https://us12.campaign-archive.com/?u=c02a095d6213ac4bd2aed2e81&id=29c2a05981&e=869b0d4585 WHO predicts up to four million cases of

Originally published on Catholics for Choice. Available at: https://www.catholicsforchoice.org/news/pr/2016/PopeandPatriarchMisrepresent.asp On his way to Mexico, Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic church, met with Russian

The Lancet Zika virus resource centre brings together the best evidence from across The Lancet family of journals—offered with free access—to assist researchers, policy makers,

The global epidemics fueled by the mosquito-born Zika virus, its potential correlation with microcephaly and the connection with abortion rights is one main headline in

The country’s Ministry of Health recommended last week that women should avoid becoming pregnant until 2018. But local feminist groups say this guidance doesn’t reflect the needs of Salvadoran women, especially where reproductive health is concerned.

Today, Brazil’s attention is focused on a different type of birth defect: microcephaly, in which a child is born with an abnormally small skull. Microcephaly, which can severely impact a child’s development, is being linked to a massive outbreak of the Zika virus, a mosquito-borne illness first discovered in Africa in the 1940s.

On Jan. 18, the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) launched a continental campaign for the decriminalization of abortion in Africa to bring attention to unsafe abortion which significantly threatens women’s and girls’ sexual and reproductive health and rights.

The Zika Virus Could Force Women To Have Unsafe Abortions – Huffington Post El Salvador’s Advice on Zika Virus: Don’t Have Babies – New York

Planned Parenthood has been cleared of accusations of selling human tissue, after covert videos released last year prompted the investigation. A Houston grand jury instead

The Chilean Ministry of Health has issued instructions to its national health sector to stop “normalising” medical interventions on intersex infants and children. This guidance is a global first: the first time that a health ministry has shown leadership in taking this step without legislation or legal action.

Originally published by the UN on 18/01/2016. Available at: https://www.ohchr.org/en/stories/2016/01/peru-compensates-woman-historic-un-human-rights-abortion-case In 2001, a 17-year-old Peruvian girl, named K.L., was 14 weeks pregnant when doctors at

As the year heads toward its end, SPW recollects main trends and facts in sexual politics worldwide. January Pope Francis drew global attention after urging

Around 40 percent of women in the West Bank have had abortions, though the procedure remains illegal in Palestine. So guess where they go.

Today in Sierra Leone, the country’s parliament voted unanimously in favor of a new abortion law that will make safe abortion legal. According to the World Health Organization, Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world, including significant contribution from unsafe abortion.

NI attorney general considers appealing against judgment that could see women being allowed terminations in cases of fatal foetal abnormalities, rape and incestt. Read more

As we were finalizing the compilation of sexual politics related events that make the headlines in November the screens were taken over by the armed

The rights of intersex persons gained visibility between October 26th (Day of Intersex Awareness) and November 8th (Intersex International Day). During this period a number

Originally published at Intersex Day. Available at: https://intersexday.org/en/mauro-cabral-marks-bodies/ Mauro Cabral draws a line between the marks on his flesh and the words that clinicians use

Originally from: https://morgancarpenter.com/intersex-rights-freedoms/ Published in the UNSW Law Society journal “Court of Conscience” issue 9, 2015, on “rights and freedoms”, this paper considers what it

Civilians, Police Injured in Shooting Near Colorado Springs Planned Parenthood (Updated) – Reality Check Anti-Choice Leaders’ Response to Colorado Violence Reveals Tension Between Rhetoric and

The Partners for Law in Development has launched the Feminist Law Archives (FLA) to celebrate the rich and vibrant history of feminist engagement with law in India.

AWID spoke with Sergia Galván, Executive Director of Colectiva Mujer y Salud [Women and Health’s Collective] from the Dominican Republic, on the realities faced by women with regard to their sexual rights and reproductive health.

The data in Coming Out of Concrete Closets sheds light on the ways in which systemic discrimination of LGBTQ communities—particularly low-income communities and communities of color—forms a dragnet of criminalization for the most marginalized. (Shutterstock)

Check the main facts in October 2015. We highlight the Stop Trans Pathologization Campaign 2015; the Synod on the Family’s final statement; Brazilian feminists protests against partially approved legislation that criminalizes providing information and assistance in regard to abortion; and the Indonesian regressive law against sexual freedom.

As it has been systematically reported by SPW in the last few months, Brazil is now a battleground in regard to the right to legal

Every defendant in the Salvadoran criminal system is guaranteed three fundamental rights by the state. First, every person accused of a crime will be presume innocent until proven guilty, in accordance with the law. Second, in cases of doubt, the judge must find in favour of the defendant.

Originally published on: http://www.rhmjournal.org.uk/journal/call-papers/ Reproductive Rights Matters – volume 24   number 47   may/june 2016  In this issue of the journal, we are hoping to

Originally published on Reproductive Rights on 19/10/15. Available at: http://www.reproductiverights.org/press-room/iachr-holds-hearing-on-wrongful-imprisonment-of-salvadoran-women-who-miscarry 10.19.15 – (PRESS RELEASE) Reproductive rights advocates testified today in Washington, D.C. about the human rights violations

Join the Youth Health and Rights Coalition and Evidence to Action on Monday, September 28th from 9 am – 10:30 am EDT for a webinar, “Putting

Originally published on Rewire on 16/09/2015. Available at: https://rewirenewsgroup.com/2015/09/16/polling-abortion-rarely-abortion/ by Amanda Marcotte At this point, I’ve given up all hope that anyone will ever construct

SPW has the great pleasure to announce the publication of Working Paper nº 11 Emerging Powers, Sexuality and Human Rights: Fumbling around the elephant. Authored

Image: Barbara Kruger By Sonia Corrêa[1] As previously reported by SPW (here and here), for some time now, growing obstacles have been impairing any movement

With his latest comments, Pope Francis has built a shiny new smokescreen to distract from the grave and immoral harms caused by the Vatican’s opposition to abortion and women’s equality.

Pope Francis once more gained global visibility by allowing priests to forgive women who have had an abortion. His speech — delivered on September first

Distinguished Committee Members: I wish to thank the Committee for the opportunity to deliver this brief statement on behalf of over fifty human rights organizations

Sonia Corrêa The UN Committee on Human Rights is developing a new General Comment on Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political

Originally posted on Buzzfeed on 24/07/2015. Available at: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jinamoore/abortion-rights-billboard-censored-ahead-of-obamas-kenya-vis#.esP8rrLX6 Reproductive health advocates say they were told Kenyan officials insisted on the removal of the billboard

Originally posted on Maravipost in 2015. Available at: http://www.maravipost.com/national/malawi-news/law-and-order/9316-unpacking-malawi-special-law-commission-final-review%E2%80%99-findings-and-recommendations-on-abortion-law.html The current position of the law is that abortion is illegal in Malawi except where it

Retrieved from www.transactivists.org in 2015. London, July 16th 2015 Dear friends, I am very honored to receive this award, which I accept understanding it as

by Juan Marco Vaggione Since his inauguration as the new pontiff, Bergoglio has generated new complexities for those of us who think that it is

The Poland “abortion drone” is causing a splash in the media and excited buzz in the reproductive rights community, but it has also become a source of misinformation and anxiety.

Originally published on Reality Check on 11/06/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/06/11/abortion-rates-alone-dont-tell-us-need-know-state-reproductive-wellness/ by Steph Herold, Sea Change Program June 11, 2015 – 11:33 am   While a

Reproductive Health Matters has extended the deadline of the  Call  it has launched for Papers on Sexuality/Sexual Rights/ Sexual Politics.

SPW recommend the study Transgender Men Who Experienced Pregnancy After Female-to-Male Gender Transitioning, aimed at conducting a cross-sectional study of trans- gender men who had

Wednesday, 13 May 2015 Yesterday, the EU’s Fundamental Rights Agency launched a focus paper on the fundamental rights situation of intersex* people. The Council of

After decriminalizing abortion last December, Mozambique has once again taken an important step toward sexual rights by decriminalizing same-sexual relations between consenting adults. The change was celebrated by civil society in the African country.

In early May, SPW re-launched its website. Its new architecture allows an easier access to our products, publications and other contents. In particular, we call

Originally published on Rewire on 28/05/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/05/28/taking-action-combat-state-sanctioned-violence-women-worldwide/ by Leila Hessini, Ipas / Global Fund for Women and Beatriz Galli May 28, 2015 –

Ireland became the first country in the world to legalize same-sex marriage through a national vote — a kind of paradoxical feat, considering the Catholic Church’s long-lasting influence on the county’s laws and beliefs.

Originally published on Rewire on 14/05/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/05/14/gop-fiddling-uterus-country-burns/ by Jodi Jacobson, Editor in Chief, RH Reality Check May 14, 2015 – 4:06 pm At

_______________________________________________________ Relevant meetings The V Conference of ILGA-LAC was held in Curitiba, Brazil, from January 26th to 30th, 2010. Regional highlights > Read these information

Originally published on Outrage Mag. Available at: http://outragemag.com/phl-accountable-for-violations-of-womens-rights-un-cedaw-committee/ The UN CEDAW released its findings on its inquiry on Manila EO 003 and E0 030, finding

Originally published on Agence France-Presse, May 8th, 2015. Health Minister El Hossein Louardi came out in support of lifting Morocco’s ban on abortion, saying women

by By Manuela L. Picq* A debate on abortion suspended the voting on the new penal code in the Ecuadorian Congress this week. Congresswoman Soledad Buendía,

The deadline for applying to the 2016 AWID forum has been postponned to July 3rd, 2015. To submit a proposal to organise a session click

This study analyses the experiences of women living in areas of ‪SriLanka‬ that were affected by armed conflict for more than two decades. It is

Realizing Demographic Dividend in Africa: the Critical Importance of Adolescents and Youth Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights February 8 – 12, 2016 | Accra,

Originally published on The Independent  Jean Wyllys de Matos Santos does not pick the easy battles, nor does he pick the vote-winning ones.    

SPW is very pleased to announce that SexPolitics: Reports from the Frontlines launched last year is now available in Spanish – Políticas sobre Sexualidad: Reportes desde las líneas del frente. This e-book is the result from a global research project initiated in 2004 to examine the dynamics of sexual politics in eight countries – Brazil, Egypt, India, Peru, Polonia, South Africa, Turkey and Vietnam – and two global institutions: the United Nations and the World Bank.

Originally published on Real Screen ok 09/12/2014. Available at: http://realscreen.com/2014/12/09/terror-attack-at-vessel-screening-in-sweden/#ixzz3Wf3Xvm5h Three masked men stormed a screening of SXSW-winning abortion documentary Vessel (pictured) in Sweden on

                 Applications are due on or before 30 April 2015. Applications will be evaluated and participants will be

SPW recommends Georgetown Law School’s O’Neill Institute study (co-authored by Women’s Link) Conscientious Objection and Abortion: A Global Perspective on the Colombian Experience. Click here

Originally posted on Rewire on 11/03/2015. Available at:  http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/03/11/im-disturbed-screening-intersex-traits-utero/ by Claudia Astorino March 11, 2015 – 1:20 pm As an avid proponent of reproductive rights,

Women’s, Feminists and other civil society NGOs from Latin America and the Caribbean launched a statement criticizing the Political Declaration approved by Members States Monday

Originally published on BBC News. Available at: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-31828123 Draft laws aimed at boosting the birth rate in Iran reduce women to “baby-making machines”, the rights group

Organizations of the International Sexual and Reproductive Rights Coalition (ISRRC) launched a statement highlighting that, despite progress achieved toward gender equality and the realization of

Originally published on Rewire on 03/03/2015. Available at: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/03/03/making-affordable-raise-baby-wont-make-abortion-demand-obsolete/ by Amanda Marcotte March 3, 2015 – 9:39 am With their new paper, the Brookings Institution‘s researchers

Originally published on NYT on 26/02/2015. Available at:  http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/27/health/american-hiv-battle-in-africa-said-to-falter.html?_r=0 By DONALD G. McNEIL Jr. FEB. 26, 2015   SEATTLE — The $1.3 billion that the United

No major event has been registered by our radars at the sexual and reproductive rights global landscape in February. But we would like to recommend

We are pleased to present this report on women’s reproductive rights in Latin America. In recent decades, women throughout the region have made tremendous strides

In January, reproductive rights have invaded the front pages and screens under the impact of Pope Francis’ statementurging the faithful not to reproduce as “rabbits”. 

Originally published on Rewire on 05/01/2015. Available at:  http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2015/01/05/anti-abortion-stigma-cultural-force-restricting-reproductive-rights/ by Morgan Meneses-Sheets January 5, 2015 – 10:51 am For too many people in this country,

Originally from:  http://kelinkenya.org/2014/12/announcement/ Women Living with HIV & their Lawyers Issuing a Press Statement after Filing their Case       Picture By: KELIN/Regina Mwanza 1.0

In October the 10th anniversary of SUR Journal  – International Journal on Human Right was marked by the publication of its 20th issue that comprises

Originally from Reproductive Rights. Available at: http://www.reproductiverights.org/press-room/oas-links-abortion-restrictions-to-violence-against-women-calls-governments-to-decriminalize-abortion 10.03.14 – (PRESS RELEASE) For the first time ever a committee within the Organization of American States (OAS)—considered to be the United

One main highlight of the period concerns the politics of abortion in Brazil. Despite the tragic deaths of two women caused by illegal and unsafe

By Erin Matson, Editor at Large, RH Reality Check September 24, 2014 – 2:41 pm All over the country, from Denver to Minneapolis and beyond,

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) has published a report called: Lessons From the First Cycle of the Universal Periodic Review: From Commitment to Action on Sexual

By Lucy Jordan September 25, 2014 | 8:05 pm In late August, a 27-year-old woman named Jandira dos Santos Cruz went to a bus station

SPW joins forces with other networks and organizations engaged in the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe Abortion.  We recall that the date

International Campaign for Womens Right to Safe Abortion When abortion is a crime – Center for Reproductive Rights. Take action for the September 28 Campaign

Caso Jandira e aborto no Brasil: crime com pena de morte – Pragmatismo político Coragem para enfrentar o preconceito – Observatório da Imprensa Sobre princípios,

Brazil’s Criminal Abortion Laws Are Killing Women – Reality Check Aborto clandestino en Brasil provoca muertes trágicas – Diário Rotativo (México) Stigma of Brazil abortions

Jandira Cruz and Elisângela Barbosa died after resorting to unsafe clandestine abortion clinics. Their deaths are now inevitably interwoven with the 2014 intense and complex

The Spanish government has decided to withdraw a bill that would only allow abortion in cases of rape or significant health risk to the mother or fetus. Read

UNITED NATIONS, Sep 19 2014 (IPS) – On the eve of a major U.N. special session on population and development, a delegation of religious leaders

The Center for Reproductive Rights has launched The World Abortion Laws Map 2014,  in celebration of the 20-year anniversary of the International Conference on Population and

SPW co-chair Sonia Corrêa spoke at the panel on sexual and reproductive rights of the Women and Girls Rising Conference, held in New York on

The Center for Reproductive Rights has published its September 2014 edition of the Reproductive Rights Rundown, highlighting reproductive rights developments in UN Treaty Monitoring Bodies

By Kathy Bougher September 2, 2014 – 7:24 pm Fundamentalist groups in El Salvador have escalated their media attacks against the “Freedom for the 17”

In August, the Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) published the outcomes from the three Regional Dialogues organized in Asia (2009), Latin America (2009) and Africa (2010)

BRIDGE – development and gender has launched the guide Supporting social movements to advance women’s rights and gender justice – an approach for donors. Read

If you have followed the aftermath of the August 9 killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown, then you have most likely seen the image of his

By Ximena Casas, Planned Parenthood Global August 19, 2014 – 9:59 am In 2007, a 13-year-old Peruvian girl became pregnant as the result of being

From legalising abortion to transsexual rights, marginalised groups have united to become a formidable force for change One tiny country has been blazing a liberal

The English version of the Federation for Women and Family Planning (Poland) report summarizing 20 years of Poland’s strict anti-abortion law is now available. It

The Sexual and Reproductive Justice Resource Center provides various country and regional specific resources related to Sexual and Reproductive Justice, developed by our members, partners and

In 2013, Sexuality Policy Watch began a new line of work aimed at critically examining how sexuality, gender and human rights  can be located in

In 2013, Sexuality Policy Watch began a new line of work aimed at critically examining how sexuality, gender and human rights are located in the

At the VI Summit of President of BRICS We, the networks and the feminist movements of the global South, that gathered in Fortaleza, 14-16 July

Women Living Under Muslim Laws (WLUML) released its latest publication, Dossier 32-33: Sexualities, Culture and Society in Muslim Contexts, available in paperback hard copy and

Alongside the ongoing 26th session of the Council, the Sexual Rights Initiative, in partnership with,Ipas, Amnesty International and UNAIDS, hosted a parallel event examining the

Read the joint statement delivered at the 13th session of the Open Working Group on the Sustainable Development Goals on behalf of 58 countries, focusing

At the International Conference on Human Rights (7 to 10 July 2013), the main outcome was the final report, which represents a unique platform to

The U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling allowing private companies to deny their employees insurance coverage for birth control under the Affordable Care Act’s preventive

Posted on 24 June 2014 Why is the Human Rights Campaign hanging out with the friends of homophobe Gary Bauer? Some background: HRC, the richest US

Amnesty International launched a public statement on the resolution presented by a group of countries at the UN Human Rights Council  aimet at “protecting the

Brazil In May and early June the Brazilian sexual politics scenario has winessed setbacks and authoritarian measures, particularly with regard to women’s rights. At the

As the pace of Brazilian presidential election campaign accelerates once again abortion rights are caught into the eye of the storm. Last week, the Ministry

In Brazil, not surprisingly, abortion has once again flared up in the path towards the next Brazilian presidential election campaign. The presidential candidate of the

The World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a statement aimed at contributing to the elimination of forced, coercive and otherwise involuntary sterilization. It reaffirms that

According to World Health Organization, every day, approximately 800 women die from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth. From this total, 99% of the

Preliminary list of signatories and the statement in English and Spanish.

SPW in April 2014 Kasha Jacqueline in Brazil On April 24th, 2014, Amnesty International and Sexuality Policy Watch, in Rio, promoted an open debate with

According to Alternet, Tennessee has become the first state in U.S. to pass a law criminalizing women for their pregnancy outcomes. Click here to learn

Article by Aljazeera highlights the difficult choices Brazilian women are forced to make when trying to end a pregnancy in the country with the largest

Sexual and reproductive rights global landscape in March and early April 2014 During March and early April, Brazil was under the spotlight in terms of

Click here to read it.

SPW gathered news, results and assessments from the 47th session of the Commission on Population and Development (CPD). Below, some of them released by now. RESURJ

The Philippines Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld a family planning law but ruled out provisions to punish health workers who do not inform people about

Read The Guardian’s article about the case of a Brazilian women taken by police to have a cesarean, despite her will to have a vaginal

Sexual Rights Initiative has gathered news from the 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council that took place from March 3 – 28 2014.

Read Reality Check‘s article about the movement by the Koch Brother to support anti-choice organizations in the context of the mid-term congressional elections this year.

In a ceremony today, the Brazilian government gave monetary reparations to Maria Lourdes da Silva Pimentel, the mother of Alyne—an Afro-Brazilian woman who did not

Reproductive health and human rights advocates testified today in Washington, D.C. on women’s rights issues, including discrimination, violence and reproductive rights violations in the Dominican

United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) Approves Monetary Reparations Agreement with Brazilian Government for the Mother of Alyne da Silva

The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women, at its recently concluded session, issued a statement on sexual and reproductive health and rights, which

Dear friends, Around the World During January and February 2014, SPW has watched the development of anti-homosexuality bills in Nigeria and Uganda, as well as

Read Reality Check article that discusses a report from United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) about abortion. For the author of the article, “the debate over

In a ruling that marks a significant step forward for women’s rights in the region, Bolivia’s highest court, the Plurinational Constitutional Court, issued a decision

The ICPD Beyond 2014 Global Report is the culmination of a landmark UN review of progress, gaps, challenges and emerging issues in relation to the

SPW recommends Sexualities january edition. It brings articles about gender and sexuality boundaries on evangelical websites; medicalization of women sexuality as well as other interesting

This new issue of The Scholar & Feminist Online, edited by Elizabeth Bernstein and Janet R. Jakobsen, forges new ground by weaving together issues of

During the year of 2013, sexual and reproductive rights were threatened by state decisions in various places around the world. At the year’s end, three

The LGBTTTI Coalition Working at the OAS highlighted the advances achieved in 2013, such as the approval of the Inter-American Conventions Against Racism and Against

The Program on Global Health & Human Rights, from Institute for Global Health at the University of Southern California, has launched the Health and Human

Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion in El Salvador, the Feminist Collective for Local Development, CEJIL (Center for Justice and International Law) and Ipas

Read article “Two Women, Different Outcomes: How U.S. Foreign Assistance Policy Harms Women”, by Elizabeth Maguire in “RH Reality Check”, in which the author tells

November was marked by two relevant facts in the sexual and reproductive rights landscape: the financing of Human Rights Campaign to promote LGBT rights and

IDS Sexuality and Development November Newsletter is on the web and brings discussions about heteronormativity and patriarchy as well as other issues. Learn more.

Equador faces a double pattern in adressing reproductive and sexual rights: while Presidente Rafael Corrêa makes pression against abortion legalization, his Public Health Ministry leads

Read RH Reality Check’s article “Anatomy of the War on Women: How the Koch Brothers Are Funding the Anti-Choice Agenda”, where the author criticizes that

Article on NY Times describes the case of a american young woman, taked in handcuffs to a cell because of the allegation that she, once

African Regional Conference on Population and Development, based at Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia (3 and 4 October 2013), has resulted on a final document called “Africa Regional

Cultural Cold Wars: Where “traditional values” came from See Scott Long’s HQ on the place of sexual rights in what he calls “Cultural Cold Wars”.

Read the article, by SPW partner Raphael de la Dehesa, in which he discusses Brazilian sexual and reprodutive rights landscape. Although being hailed as a

The 6th Asia Pacific Population Conference (APPC) took place at the end of September in Bangkok. The final document brings recommendations on  gender equality and

Read the report of the 24th session of the Human Rights Council which concluded last week. Among the issues discussed, gender integration was one of

During the month of September, Sexuality Policy Watch has followed the global landscape of sexual and reproductive rights. In the Latin American scene, we highlighted

During September, Sexuality Policy Watch followed the global landscape of sexual and reproductive rights. In the Latin American scene, we highlighted the Regional Conference on

On this 28 September, the SPW publishes report developed by the International Campaign for Women’s Rights to Safe Abortion in which it shows the effects

Pope Francis, once more, came with new remarks on issues related to sexual and reproduticve rights. His messages prompted reaction all over the world. What

The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) promote capacity building within organisations in 50 countries by providing training and education through fellowships for professionals. The NFP is

Read the article “Abortion education under pressure in U.S. medical schools”, in which it highlights the battle at the state level in the United States

In this event to be held at the UN Human Rights Council, the Center for Reproductive Rights will speak about the  Alyne Case in relation

The Universal Access to Female Condom Joint Programs has just published an up-date report on Female Condoms now available in the global market or yet

The Regional Conference on Population and Development in Latin America and the Caribbean ended on August 15, 2013 after country delegates agreed upon a groundbreaking

SPW Newsletter No. 13 landscapes the implications of the new papacy of Francis the First for the sexual and reproductive rights in Latin America. We invited five SPW partners: Daniel Jones, Diana Maffía and Juan Marco Vaggione, from Argentina; Edgar Ruiz, from Mexico; and Maria José Rosado, from Brazil to share their views on how this political shift at the Vatican will affect sexual politics in the region. We choose three authors from Argentina because we wanted critical assessments made by analysts more closely acquainted with Bergoglio’s trajectory and political style. Edgar Ruiz in his article provides a sweeping view of the new papacy from a wider Latin American perspective, and Maria Jose Rosado’s interview speaks more directly of the Brazilian context including concerns about the papal visit and its potential negative impacts.

Maria José Rosado Sociologist. Teacher at the Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo. She founded the Brazilian NGO Catholics for Free Choice. Her field of

Read some information on the recent Brazilian context on regressions in sexual and reproductive politics.

Around 1.8 billion young people worldwide are at risk of having their sexual and reproductive rights ignored in the next round of ICPD review. Amnesty International calls on you to tell world leaders: protect sexual and reproductive rights now and for the next generation! Support My Body, My Rights campaign.

El Salvador: Following an Inter-American Court of Human Rights’ determination, Salvadoran woman who sought abortion delivers baby after a C-section. Read more.

US: NY Archdiocese has been reluctantly paying for health plan that covers birth control. Read more.

El Salvador: Supreme Court has denied a sick woman an immediate abortion, despite warnings from doctors that her life is at risk and the foetus is likely to survive only a few hours after birth. Read more.

Read “INTRODUCTION: Sexual and reproductive rights at the 2012 Universal Periodic Review of Brazil”, written for the SPW Newsletter N. 12, based on analysis of Magaly Pazello, from EMERGE-Communication and Emergence Research Centre and Women’s Networking Support Programme of the Association for Progressive Communications (APC).

For the Newsletter N. 12, SPW interviewed Camila Asano, Coordinator of Foreign Policy and Human Rights at Conectas Human Rights, who participated of the second round of the Universal Periodical Review (UPR) of Brazil, at the UN Human Rights Council (HRC), in Geneva, in May 2012. In this interview, Ms. Asano analyzed this mechanism for the human rights, explaining how this process works and highlighting recommendations to Brazil, challenges and perspectives. Read more.

Global: 28th September 2012 is the Day of Decriminalization of Abortion and advocates around the world are organizing events to raise awareness about the need to ensure access to safe, legal abortion. Click and sign an international open letter for the right to abortion, support a campaign and read more.

Read the article “Provisional Measure 557 (MP 557) has been archived, but the matter is not resolved,” written by Ana Maria Costa and Luís Bernardo Delgado Bieber, on the creation of the National System of Registration, Tracking and Follow-up of Pregnant and Puerperal Women for the Prevention of Maternal Mortality.

Global: Gender equality and women’s human rights have continuously been a challenge and sexual and reproductive rights were not included in the Rio+20 document, which was a giant leap backwards. Read a series of contents on this issue.

The United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD) will take place in, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on 20-22 June 2012. Check more information on the agenda regarding the women’s rights and sexual and reproductive health at the Rio+20 Summit.

Endorse the statement “Rights must be at the Centre of the Family Planning Summit”, prepared by Amnesty International, the Center for Reproductive Rights (CRR), DAWN, the International Women’s Health Coalition and RESURJ regarding the new global family planning initiative led by Gates and DFID, which will be held in London on 11 July 2012. Read more.

Turkey: Prime Minister Erdogan’s statements in the last week of May 2012 have revealed that plans to ban abortion have been underway for some time now. Experience from the global arena illustrates that this lethal attempt, which has no scientific backing, will not reduce abortion rates; instead it will only lead to unsafe abortions and increase maternal mortality. Read more.

UK: The Equal Rights Trust and the Human Rights Lawyers Association invite to the panel discussion “Advancing Sexual Rights in the ‘Developing World’: The Politics of Human Rights Interventionism”, which will take place in London, on 10 May 2012. Read more.

Brazil: ABIA and SPW supported the Brazilian UPR Pre-session, which took place on April 2nd, in Geneva, presenting a short video and recommendations aiming to contextualize some recent aspects of human rights in the country.

Starting with the issue No. 11, SPW Newsletters no longer provide detailed links to posted material, as they will have already been circulated through the announcements of new website postings. The newsletter will mainly focus on one or two pieces of substantive analysis addressing one key debate and, eventually, one key event that we consider to be have been critical in the global sexual politics landscape in the period immediately preceding the publication. Partners and collaborators are invited to share their views on these topics and the Newsletter No 11 is devoted to two key topics: the ongoing debate around the validity of aid conditionality as an instrument to protect LGBT rights and the current state of affairs of abortion reform in Uruguay. Good reading!

For the SPW Newsletter No 11, Lilián Abracinskas, director of Mujer y Salud en Uruguay (MYSU), wrote the article “Abortion law reform in Uruguay: The state of art”, presenting the current state of affairs of abortion reform in Uruguay. Read more.

Global: To mark the International Women’s Day and to highlight backs and forwards in terms of women’s current condition, SPW has gathered a series of articles, studies, news and arts in a special bulletin.

Read the interview with Malu S. Marin, Executive Director of ACHIEVE – Action for Health Initiatives, in the Philippines. Ms. Marin talked on the work that she has been doing on HIV, health and migration issues for more than 11 years. She is also involved in the LGBT movement in the Philippines, mainly promoting representation of LGBTs in the political arena through her involvement in Ladlad Partylist, a political party for LGBTs founded in 2003.

Interview: Conceição Lemes A protest movement against the Provisional Measure 577 (MP 577) creating the National System of Registration, Tracking and Follow-up of Pregnant and

Brazil: President Dilma Roussef signed an act that regulates the obligatory registration of pregnant women. The text includes language that treats the fetus as a person. Read more.

Endorse the “Our Rights, Our Lives: Women’s Call to Action toward the 20-year review of the Cairo conference in 2014”. It was developed by an inter-generational group of over 30 feminists convened by Realizing Sexual and Reproductive Justice (RESURJ), International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) and Development Alternatives with Women for a New Era (DAWN). Read the call.

Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW) and the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA) were involved in the production of reports on the status of human rights in Brazil for the second Universal Periodic Review of the Human Rights Council, which will be held in June 2012. Read the reports.

In late September 2011, SPW promoted an Inter-Regional Dialogue about Sexuality and Geopolitics. Cai Yiping, a feminist activist based in Beijing, who is a member of the Executive Committee of DAWN – Development Alternatives with Woman for a New Era, and Pei Yuxin, assistant Professor of the Department of Social Work, Sun Yat-sen University (in Guangzhou) have also participated. They were interviewed by SPW team and shared their knowledge of sexuality research, activism and related public debates in China. Read the interview.

SPW: What do you see as the most critical issues concerning sexuality and sexual rights, broadly speaking, in China today? Pei: As a researcher, I

Global: On October 24th, 2011, Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, presented a report before the UN General Assembly, calling on all countries to abolish or suspend any criminal laws that seek to control women’s sexual and reproductive rights. Read the NGO statement supporting the report and more.

The Sexuality Policy Watch is hosting the Inter-Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Politics prior to its Advisory Group regular meeting in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on September 26-29, 2011.

USA: A remorseless House of Representatives returns to Capitol Hill, armed with a grim anti-woman agenda, in the form, once again, of the Global Gag Rule, a presidential order that declares that U.S. international family planning funds cannot go to organizations that use non-U.S. funds for abortion services, counseling, or referrals. Read more.

A number of factors hampered our ability to deliver the 10th SPW Newsletter in early 2011, as planned. On the one hand, we regret and apologize for this delay. On the other, it is rather striking to note that how, in such a relatively short period of time, the world scenario has been swept by a sequence of outstanding events and trends, whose meaning and effects can not yet be fully grasped. So, in this issue you can find information on the cycle of “Regional Dialogues on Sexuality and Geopolitics”, that is finalyzing in late September 2011, with an inter-regional meeting which will take place in Rio de Janeiro to share and process the outcomes of the three dialogues and to prepare the foundation for a global publication, planned for 2012. In the section “Around the world”, you can read reflections on how sexual politics intersect with a shifting landscape, as well as on the relevants global meetings in terms of the intersections between sexuality and politics. Find also the sections “Advocacy: keep an eye”, “Sexuality in Art”, “Check it out” and “We Recommend”, with suggestions of publications, resources, papers, articles, and relevant links.

The UN resolution on human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity is available in all 6 UN languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

Read Claiming Rosa Parks: Strategic Secularism and Human Rights in Latin America, a paper by Prof. Lynn M. Morgan about Rosa Parks Prize delivered to anti-choice Argentine senator Liliana Negre de Alonso in 2009. Download PDF.

In October 2010, Institut Pelangi Perempuan, the Indonesian Youth Lesbian Center, launched the Yogyakarta Principles comic strip. Read the comic version and an interview published at ILGA’s website with Kamilia, a young feminist and lesbian activist currently the Executive Director of the organization.

Read the short report “The Body and the State: How the State Controls and Protects the Body”, written by Rafael de la Dehesa about the 23rd Social Research Conference, held on February 10-12, 2011 at the New School University, New York City. The text brings a brief description of some of the speeches and presentations at the Conference.

Read “Repoliticizing sexual and reproductive health and rights – Report of a global meeting” held in Langkawi, Malaysia, in August 3-6, 2010.

Read the article Abortion in the United States’ bible belt: organizing for power and empowerment, written by Mary Ann Castle, from the Planing Alternatives for Change.

Read Towards a Future Without Fundamentalisms and Feminists on the Frontline: Case Studies of Resisting and Challenging Fundamentalisms, two reports by AWID.

In A Tale of Two Moralities, published at the New York Times website, Paul Krugman talks about the American political morality and highlights the deep intersection of economic and abortion debates in the USA. Read the article.

Brazil: Brazilian Human Rights and gender equality activists send a manifesto against the way abortion was treated during the last election period in Brazil to the President Dilma Rousseff and Ministers. Read more.

Egypt: Civil society has warned of adverse social and health consequences after the Egyptian government ordered the removal of content related to male and female anatomy, reproductive health and sexually transmitted diseases from the school curriculum.

The Catholics for Choice and the International Consortium for Emergency Contraception released a new briefing paper entitled Emergency Contraception: Catholics in Favor, Bishops Opposed, detailing how Catholic bishops continue to oppose access to emergency contraception and lead opposition efforts, going against the beliefs of the majority of Catholics. Read the paper.

Read a series of articles on various aspects of unsafe abortion in Africa published at RH Reality Check website in partnership with Ipas.

Brazil: Brazilian human rights defenders launched a manifesto against the way the abortion issue is being exploited in the current electoral period in Brazil. Support the online petition and, if you want to know more about this context, read the article Brazil: abortion at front line, written by Sonia Corrêa, SPW’s Co-chair, and a complete coverage (in Portuguese) on this issue. Read more.

On October 5th and 6th, a group of 18 researchers and activists from various countries in Africa, representing diverse communities engaged with sexual rights debates

In this issue, you find information on the main activities which SPW has been involved in the last months, like the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, that will be held in Lagos, Nigeria from October 4th to 6th, 2010, as part of the series of Regional Dialogues on Sexuality and Geopolitics. We also highlight in “Around the world” a series of global meetings that are relevant in terms of the intersections between sexuality and politics, mainly the Vienna XVIII International AIDS Conference (July). You also can find in this issue other updates on regional highlights and more in the sessions “Advocacy: keep an eye”, “Sexuality in Art”, “Check it out” and “We Recommend”, with suggestions of publications, resources, papers, articles, and relevant links.

In the article “Abortion and Human Rights in Brazil – Part 2” SPW’s Co-chair Sonia Corrêa analizes that the debate on abortion has continued to interweave with the complex political dynamics of the electoral period in Brazil. As she highlighted, even before the campaign was in its full fledge mode after August, abortion had already become one main issue.

Since the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics will take place next week in Lagos, Nigeria, we have selected a series of articles related to sexuality and gender issues in Africa, published in the last months for the SPW’s newsletter n.9. See below.

By Aziza Ahmed* The International AIDS Conference in 2010 held one of the first plenary sessions dedicated to abortion and HIV. The plenary focused on

Brazil: On May 13th, 2010, President Lula finally signed a new decree altering the text of III National Program for Human Rights (PNDH3), in which the Catholic Church and other conservative voices’ prevailed. Read “The III Brazilian Human Rights Program: a last chapter?”, an analisis by Jandira Queiroz and Sonia Corrêa, members of the SPW team.

Read here the synthesis of presentations and some highlights of the African Dialogue and be informed about the main issues debated during the meeting. >

Find here the compilation of the African Regional Dialogue that combines the final report with the Synthesis by Dr. Oka Obono, Sociology Department University of

Here you can find a brief note on the African Dialogue, and the list of participants. See also some pictures of the meeting. > Read

Lagos – Nigeria – October, 2010 Originally planned for early 2010, the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics took place from October 4th to

Check out The International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) AKIMBO blog. IWHC leads global and local actions to secure every woman’s right to a just and healthy life. The blog Akimbo is where IWHC publishes perspectives on world events and policies affecting women’s health and rights. Visit it now!

Europe: The Secretary General of the Council of Europe welcomes the decision of the Committee of Ministers on Wednesday 31 March, 2010 to adopt a recommendation to member states on measures to combat discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity.

During the 54th UN Commission on the Status of Women, held in New York, in March, 2010, Ipas, IPPF and the Government of The Netherlands

USA: On March 21, 2010 the President Barack Obama announced that he will be issuing an executive order after the passage of the health insurance reform law that will reaffirm its consistency with longstanding restrictions on the use of federal funds for abortion. See a series of opinions regarding this issue.

CONTENTS I. SPW ACTIVITIES / EDITORIAL Since late September 2009, the SPW executive team has been engaged in a wide variety of activities. First and

2.8 The abortion front lines In the struggle for legal abortion, as well, good news is often accompanied by bad news. As we were finalizing

The overview and short papers written for the Latin American Regional Dialogue are available on SPW’s website (in Spanish and Portuguese only), as are the summaries (also available in English). The papers, summaries and reports produced on the Asian Dialogue are also available (in English only).

Read the article “Back to the Future? Beijing +15 and the UN Commission on the Status of Women Only Partly Delivers on SRRH”, by Cynthia Rothschild, a sexual rights and human rights activist based in New York, on the 54th Session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) from March 1-12, 2010.

Originally planned for early 2009, the African Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics has been postponed to the last week September, 2010 and will be held in Lagos, Nigeria.

From 1-12 March 2010, the Commission on the Status of Women undertook a fifteen-year review of the implementation of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action and the outcomes of the twenty-third special session of the General Assembly. Member States, representatives of non-governmental organizations and of UN entities participated in the session. A series of parallel events provided additional opportunities for information exchange and networking. See below a complete converge.

Read the article “Abortion and Human Rights: the current Brazilian controversy”, by Sonia Corrêa, on the important setbacks in regard to abortion that Brazil has been experiencing in recent years.

Nicaragua: On 2 February, 2010 a 27-year-old woman was admitted to a hospital in Leon, the second largest city in Nicaragua. She was diagnosed with an advanced case of cancer, which had metastasised and may have spread to her breasts, brain and lungs. She was told she couldn’t be prescribed an aggressive chemotherapy or radiotherapy treatment because she was pregnant and, under Nicaraguan law, any medical procedure to save the life of a mother is banned if it jeopardises the life of the foetus.

Spain: The Spanish Senate voted to ease the country’s restrictions on abortion, rejecting the opposition of the Catholic bishops and the Vatican over access to safe and legal abortion in that country.

USA: A restriction on abortion coverage was added in November 7th, 2009 to the health care bill. The provision would block the use of federal subsidies for insurance that covers elective abortions. The Obama White House is refusing to weigh in on an amendment that represents perhaps the most restrictive anti-abortion measure introduced in a generation. Read more.

In this issue, you find information on the main activities which SPW has been involved since June. The first one is the Latin American Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geoplitics that took place in Rio de Janeiro, in August, and gathered close to 50 researchers and activists to reflect on the sexual political landscape in the region. The other important activity is that SPW’s is involved in the global research EroTICs: Sexuality and the internet – an exploratory research project, organized by the Association for Progressive Communications (APC WNSP). Read also about global and local events involving sexuality, politics, as well as recent sexuality/sexual rights advocacy. See what projects and events connect art and sexuality and browse listings of upcoming events, scholarships, job opportunities and publications.

The program of the Latin American Dialogue includeded the following sessions: Sexuality, State and Political Processes This session discussed the actual situation of sexual politics

Fourth panel – Religion and Sexual Politics Afternoon – August 25, 2009 After the presentation and debate of the conference overview paper on religion and

First panel – Sexuality, States and Political Processes Morning—August 24 , 2009 The panel that followed was coordinated by Sérgio Carrara, co-director of the Latin

By Ranjani K.Murthy* Independent Researcher, Gender, poverty and health Between 1994 and 2009 several changes have taken place in the health/SRH and global NGO scenario, 

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – August 24-26, 2009 Latin America has been a fertile ground for sexual and reproductive rights debates during the last decades,

Germany: From 2 to 4 September 2009, it is happening in Berlin, Germany, the NGO Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Development – Investi in Health, Rights and the Future, organized by the Global Partners in Action.

Panama Declaration Meeting of women representing regional Networks in latin America and the Caribbean in the process of Cairo +15 Panama, 3-5 August 2009 The

In this issue learn what SPW has been doing since January, including the Asian Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, held in Hanoi, Vietnam, in April 10-12, 2009, and the web-based survey to evaluate the use and application of the Yogyakarta Principles whithin Brazilian LGBT activists, groups and researchers. Read also about global and local events involving sexuality, politics, as well as recent sexuality/sexual rights advocacy. See what projects and events connect art and sexuality and browse listings of upcoming events, scholarships, job opportunities and publications.

UN Human Rights Council – Urging Governments to Support Resolution on Maternal Mortality and Human Rights at the Upcoming session (June 2 – 18).

Anand Grover, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health (the Right to Health) was in Poland from May 4 to May 12. Before this meeting, Anand Grover also attended a South American Consultation about the Right to Health in São Paulo, Brazil, where he met 40 representatives of civil society organizations from Argentina, Colombia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Peru, Venezuela and Brazil.

The abortion front lines: Recently in Brazil a scandal came out when a 9 years-old girl was impregnated by his stepfather and then excommunicated by the Olinda’s bishop. Meanwhile, in Nepal the Court orders the State to improve women’s access to abortion. Read more in the SPW’s newsletter n.6.

This year (2009) marks the 15th anniversary of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) and reminds us of the five years remaining to fulfill the commitments made at Cairo.

After two days of intense discussions, during which the politics of sexuality in Asia were examined from a variety of angles, the chairs of the

In the first session of the Asian Regional Dialogue on Sexuality and Geopolitics, held in the Sofitel Plaza Hotel in Hanoi, Vietnam on April 10th,

The juxtaposition of “Condom” and “Viagra” in the title of the proposed session is to indicate that there are different perceptions and values centering on

Summary of the panel discussion on the Yogyakarta Principles on the Application of International Law in Relation to Issues of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity

Internet Regulation and Sexual Politics in Brazil The issue 55(2) of Development – Citzenship for Change assesses the potential and unpacks the myths around new

Read the third edition of the Knowing Our Rights: Women, family, laws and customs in the Muslim world, organized by Women Living under Muslim Laws

In this issue learn what SPW has been doing since April, including the events we organized to coincide with the International AIDS Conference in Mexico City. Read also about global and local events involving sexuality, politics, religion and economics, as well as recent sexuality/sexual rights advocacy, in particular at the UN Human Rights Council. See what projects and events connect art and sexuality and browse listings of upcoming events, scholarships, job opportunities and publications.

DAY 1 – April, 10th – 1st session – Viagra vs. Condoms: unequal partners? In the first session of the Asian Regional Dialogue on Sexuality

It was agreed that the broad focus of the Dialogue would be on the politics of sexuality: the political processes, actors and outcomes that have

By Daniela Colombo* There are many reasons to consider Italian abortion law a success story. It was passed in 1978, only six years after the

By Daniel Sarmento* One of the most important human rights issues in the current world regards discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Notwithstanding

By Sonia Corrêa* When 2007 begun, abortion rights advocates worldwide were, on the one hand, deeply regretting the abolition of the therapeutic abortion clause from

Global Public Health, a leading peer-reviewed journal distinguished by its global focus and concern for health inequalities and the social and cultural dimensions of health, has dedicated a special supplement to the research that culminated in the publication of SexPolitics. The supplement, entitled The Contested Politics of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, features condensed versions of six of the ten case studies that appear in SexPolitics: Reports from the Front Lines; these include Brazil, India, Peru, South Africa, Vietnam, and the World Bank.

Alejandra López Gómez* The Reproductive Health Policy Law (Law 18.426), finally promulgated by the Executive in Uruguay on November 20th, 2008, was substantially different in

By Marina Maria* The 11th AWID International Forum entitled “Women’s Rights and Development” was held from November 14th to 17th 2008 in Cape Town, South

Considerations about the Principles By Mauro Cabral* The Yogyakarta Principles are the outcome of a long and difficult historical process through which the diversity of

SPW, ABIA and Conectas Human Rights facilitated a South American Consultation on Right to Health called by Anand Grover, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, March 25th and 26th, in São Paulo, Brazil.

Documents for the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Second Cycle – Brazil In May 2012, the second cycle of the Brazilian UPR took place at the

On November 8th, 2007, the Columbia University secretariat of SPW hosted a meeting to officially inaugurate the e-book SexPolitics: Reports from the Front Lines, one of the main achievements of the global policy monitoring project.

Read Reality Check‘s article about study that points how stigma makes people reluctant to share with loved ones their abortions. Click here.

CSW67 opening statement: Digital rights are women’s rights – UN Women EU statement at the 67th Session of the Commission on the Status of Women

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