Paragraph 94 of the Beijing Platform for Action. Chapter IV. C. Women and Health
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2018/10/22
94. Reproductive health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity, in all matters relating to the reproductive system and to its functions and processes. Reproductive health therefore implies that people are able to have a satisfying and safe sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Implicit in this last condition are the right of men and women to be informed and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of family planning of their choice, as well as other methods of their choice for regulation of fertility which are not against the law, and the right of access to appropriate health-care services that will enable women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth and provide couples with the best chance of having a healthy infant. In line with the above definition of reproductive health, reproductive health care is defined as the constellation of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by preventing and solving reproductive health problems. It also includes sexual health, the purpose of which is the enhancement of life and personal relations, and not merely counselling and care related to reproduction and sexually transmitted diseases.
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The issues of reproductive health are incredibly important. As we can see the “complete physical, mental and social well-being” of the girls and women, it matches some of the prior statements in the Beijing Declaration.
One of the prime concerns for women, among many, in the modern period, and as noted in the prior article, is reproductive health rights. The ability of women to have safe and equitable access to fundamental rights regarding their reproductive health, including abortion.
This is speaking internationally, not to a peculiar concern among some nations’ members. The ability for women to have an enjoyable and safe sex life is fundamentally connected to make choices about their own bodies and who they partner within the moment.
This independence of body, of not being owned by the state or the community, or controlled by the men, is fundamental to a woman’s right to choose to have a family or not. The basic test of a society’s respect for women is the fundamental right to choose their own destiny, individually and if thinking larger then collectively.
Appropriate health-care services create a foundation for freedom in life, because of the reduction in potential fatal health problems. Also, the issues with social service supports around a pregnant and new mothers for the higher possibility of a healthier child.
Indeed, the reproductive health technologies available now remain one of the effective tools for the ability of women to achieve some form of independence for their life narrative and their set of choices from moment to moment.
Sexual health, in spite of some proclamations against sexuality and frequent and consenting sex among adults as a more modern culture, is a basic or nearly a basic human piece of wellbeing. In the health and wellness category of human wellbeing, we can see the obvious inclusion of a health sex life.
The ability to be educated is important for a number of reasons. One of which is the knowledge about sex and consent to make autonomous informed choices about sex and sexual health.
–One can find similar statements in other documents, conventions, declarations and so on, with the subsequent statements of equality or women’s rights:
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in the Preamble, Article 16, and Article 25(2).
- Convention Against Discrimination in Education (1960) in Article 1.
- The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1966) in Article 3, Article 7, and Article 13.
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1966).
- Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1979).
- Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1984).
- The Declaration on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (1993).
- Beijing Declaration(1995).
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000).
- Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, especially Women and Children (2000).
- The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa or the “Maputo Protocol” (2003).
- Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence or the Istanbul Convention (2011) Article 38 and Article 39.
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