Paragraph 109(i)-(j) 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): 2018/11/14
Strategic objective C.4.
Promote research and disseminate information on women’s health
Actions to be taken
109. By Governments, the United Nations system, health professions, research institutions, non-governmental organizations, donors, pharmaceutical industries and the mass media, as appropriate:
i. Since unsafe abortion/16 is a major threat to the health and life of women, research to understand and better address the determinants and consequences of induced abortion, including its effects on subsequent fertility, reproductive and mental health and contraceptive practice, should be promoted, as well as research on treatment of complications of abortions and post-abortion care;
j. Acknowledge and encourage beneficial traditional health care, especially that practised by indigenous women, with a view to preserving and incorporating the value of traditional health care in the provision of health services, and support research directed towards achieving this aim;
Beijing Declaration (1995)
The stipulations here in the Beijing Declaration relate to some of the most consequential decisions in the life of a woman, whether to have children or not. Other factors relate to this including how many (if so), under what financial and other circumstances, and so on.
But the big reproductive health right consideration here is the unsafe abortion aspect of the (i) statement, which deeply is related to the issues or concerns of deaths and injuries in relation to denial of safe and equitable access to abortion – for any reason.
It can be seen as wrong on several levels. One of which is the denial of a fundamental human right: equitable and safe access to abortion. Another is the lifelong injuries based on having to get abortions under unsafe circumstances; still another, the ways in which there is a disregard for the health and wellness data about women as a group.
The increase in women’s and, thus, families’ well-being through the provision of their fundamental human rights. Sometimes, this can get lost in translation or in the misrepresentations about abortion as “baby killing” or other slanders.
The basic idea is a fundamental human rights argument plus the health and wellness for women with the legalization for safe and equitable access to abortion.
Indeed, there is an emphasis on the likelihood of fewer complications and fewer abortions if legalized and, therefore, a pro-life person, if true to conviction, should be pro-choice, as this become, by the evidence, pro-infant life, pro-maternal life, and pro-human right.
It is important for proper and non-fear-based information to be freely given to women for them to make free and informed decisions about what they do with and what happens to their bodies.
This should include care and “post-abortion care” as well. Next is the focus on the need to emphasize good health care provisions through the incorporation of a variety of health care relevant to culture – aiming for efficacy of those practices rather than simple appeasement at the same time.
The incorporation of traditional values can be important, though, especially as this can improve the consent to health care in general.
Sometimes, a traditional system may represent a patriarchal structure in which the modern medicine is accepted more or the acknowledged efficacy of some traditional medicines can be used in conjunction with the more modern medicine for a better outcome.
This is all to the good insofar as I can discern, as not every culture will automaticqlly trust the outsiders or those who one may see as the colonizers if not, factually accurately, the descendants of colonizers and, thus, those who shall not be trusted.
–(Updated 2018-11-10 based on further research) 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 and the optional protocol (1993).
- Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action (1995), Five-year review of progress (2000), 10-year review in 2005, the 15-year review in 2010, and the 20-year review in 2015.
- United Nations Security Council Resolution 1325 (2000), and the UN Security Council additional resolutions on women, peace and security: 1820 (2008), 1888 (2009), 1889 (2009), 1960 (2010), 2106 (2013), 2122 (2013), and 2242 (2015).
- 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.
- UN Women’s strategic plan, 2018–2021
- 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
- 2015 agenda with 17 new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (169 targets for the end to poverty, combatting inequalities, and so on, by 2030). The SDGs were preceded by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from 2000 to 2015.
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