Paragraph 107(e)-(f) 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): 2018/11/04
Strategic objective C.2.
Strengthen preventive programmes that promote women’s health
Actions to be taken
107. By Governments, in cooperation with non-governmental organizations, the mass media, the private sector and relevant international organizations, including United Nations bodies, as appropriate:
e. Prepare and disseminate accessible information, through public health campaigns, the media, reliable counselling and the education system, designed to ensure that women and men, particularly young people, can acquire knowledge about their health, especially information on sexuality and reproduction, taking into account the rights of the child to access to information, privacy, confidentiality, respect and informed consent, as well as the responsibilities, rights and duties of parents and legal guardians to provide, in a manner consistent with the evolving capacities of the child, appropriate direction and guidance in the exercise by the child of the rights recognized in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and in conformity with the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; ensure that in all actions concerning children, the best interests of the child are a primary consideration;
f. Create and support programmes in the educational system, in the workplace and in the community to make opportunities to participate in sport, physical activity and recreation available to girls and women of all ages on the same basis as they are made available to men and boys;
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The central points of these sections of paragraph 107 are the proper preparation and delivery of the information on health. These come in the standard channels of education, probably K-12 or its equivalent, and the popular press or the media.
In the cases of more specific ones, there is the need to have public health campaigns. For instance, with the nations having the devoted resources, the vaccinations require extra combat against aspects of the religious right and the liberal left who do not give their children vaccinations or take vaccinations themselves.
These individuals, in particular, become public health hazards. There is a sense in which the fundamental basis for the education of the public comes with the willingness of most of the public to trust in its institutions and professionals.
Typically, this works. But with vaccinations and some other medical information, it, certainly, can be a difficulty. There should be quality education, good counselling, robust public information campaigns, and socio-cultural denouncement of the misinformation and disinformation campaigns happening around the world with real impacts on the health and wellness of women.
I do not simply mean some fundamentalist religious leaders claiming women driving causes orgasms and, thus, the orgasms causing earthquakes, so women shouldn’t drive. I mean the ones around the idea of abortion being the cause of breast cancer. This, at the present time, is a deliberate, malicious lie with harmful impacts on the health and wellbeing of women.
As noted by the American Cancer Society:
The results of studies looking at the possible link between breast cancer and induced abortion often differ depending on how the study was done. Cohort studies and studies that used records to determine the history of abortions have not found an increased risk. Some case-control studies, however, have found an increase in risk.
These lies cause problems. Even in purported soothsayers and truthtellers, the falsehoods abound and create problems in the overall wellbeing of women, especially in regards to making free, prior, and informed decisions about their healthcare and make those choices relevant to health, including reproductive health.
Now, the nuance comes in the form of access about sexuality and reproduction linked to the rights of the child. It is important for privacy and confidentiality with respect for consent to be basic premises in the provision of health.
It comes with the rights of being a parent, the responsibilities. Some may complain about individuals arguing for their rights because this ignores responsibilities. Unfortunately, this, either wittingly or not, ignored the premise of rights as, many times, having concomitant responsibilities and, therefore, rights derive responsibilities but not vice versa.
As most children move through the normal stages of development, the responsibilities of parents and the rights of children shift until adulthood for the child of the parent. But the main or “primary” interest is the rights of the child.
The educational system should work in tandem with the general community and the parents through the inclusion of the higher quality information about sexuality and reproduction for the sake of the children.
Also, and on different notes of accessibility, the education system should provide the opportunity for the child to participate in a wide range of physical activities and endeavours. As for boys, then for girls, as for men, then for women, this is the point of freedom and individual rights (and responsibilities), which forms the basis for a freer and more just society.
–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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