Paragraphs 106(k) 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): 2018/10/31
Strategic objective C.1.
Increase women’s access throughout life cycle to appropriate, affordable and quality health care, information and related services
Actions to be taken
106. By Governments, in collaboration with non-governmental organizations and employers’ and workers’ organizations and with the support of international institutions:
k. In the light of paragraph 8.25 of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development, which states: “In no case should abortion be promoted as a method of family planning. All Governments and relevant intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations are urged to strengthen their commitment to women’s health, to deal with the health impact of unsafe abortion/16 as a major public health concern and to reduce the recourse to abortion through expanded and improved family-planning services. Prevention of unwanted pregnancies must always be given the highest priority and every attempt should be made to eliminate the need for abortion. Women who have unwanted pregnancies should have ready access to reliable information and compassionate counselling. Any measures or changes related to abortion within the health system can only be determined at the national or local level according to the national legislative process. In circumstances where abortion is not against the law, such abortion should be safe. In all cases, women should have access to quality services for the management of complications arising from abortion. Post-abortion counselling, education and family-planning services should be offered promptly, which will also help to avoid repeat abortions”, consider reviewing laws containing punitive measures against women who have undergone illegal abortions;
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The Beijing Declaration continues with the full lifecycle focus on the health and wellness of women with, in essence, the creation of a universal healthcare system accessible by all people within the society.
As the extensive section (k) stipulated, one side of the issue is family planning, of which the Catholic Church and many other organizations around the world have been opposed. This has, according to Dr. Madeline Weld, caused significant damage to much of the world with growth beyond current sustainability and capacity in specific locales, for instance.
But it is also emphasized that abortion is not a form of family planning. It is a form of emergency health for women. The extreme examples brought forth are the instances of pregnancy from rape. This is an unwilling mother and an unwanted fetus, eventual potential child, and abortion seems ethically appropriate in this circumstance. But, in the end, it is a woman’s individual choice about her body and future, full halt.
The dealing with unsafe abortions is taking the current empirics seriously. Without this, taking the positions of such a person becomes difficult, because we have known issues with the health and wellbeing of women, girls, and families in relation to safe and equitable access, or not, it is this framework that is the best in terms of the dealing with both the spillage and the crack in the pipe.
Prevention is the best methodology by which to decrease the number of overall abortion. Thus, our main option is working with family planning and other measures, which spiritual and political organizations should bring to bear on the health and well-being of their participants and constituents, respectively.
It could save lives and improve the outcomes of their respective communities, somewhat overlapping of course. It is noted that “prevention of unwanted pregnancies must always be given the highest priority,” which seems correct; even though, the “from here to there” is an uncertainty.
The proper preventions could drastically cut, except in some extreme strawberry picked examples, the number of net abortions every year and, thus, circumvent many of the concerns about an increase in the number of fetuses being destroyed and taken out of wombs over the long-term – pro-choice becomes pro-life in this way, as a statistical rule of thumb.
But the basic tenet of healthcare for women with good information and counselling goes with making free, prior, and informed choices about their own health. This shall be “determined at the national or local level according to the national legislative process,” which is highly important and relevant.
Now, interestingly, abortion is against the law of the land in some countries, which is the right of the country. But this does, in fact, harm the health and wellbeing of women and the communities in the country. Nonetheless, abortion should be equitably accessible and safe when legal.
This includes the bulwark support and social services in the cases of complications from the abortion, which still happen but much less in the conditions of legal and safe abortions. All these discussions around abortion are not black and white but about independently valid but conflicting moral values that need to be balanced within the empirical data while also respecting the fundamental human right of women.
–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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