In her celebratory speech on Women's Day, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic called on member states to comply with relevant international human rights standards and to ensure a supportive legal environment in which women and girls can freely exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.
Full protection of the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls is an essential condition for social empowerment and gender equality, the human rights commissioner of the Strasbourg-based Council of Europe, which has 46 member states, stated on the occasion of International Women's Day on Friday.
In her statement, Dunja Mijatovic drew attention to the fact that, despite many achievements, women and girls still face challenges, obstacles and gaps in terms of affordable contraception, quality abortion care, and dignified and respectful obstetric and gynecological health care.
Urgent action is therefore needed to ensure that all women and girls, including those with disabilities, Roma women and girls, older women, refugee, asylum-seeking and migrant women can enjoy their sexual and reproductive rights without discrimination and in full, he said. .
"Unhindered access to quality sexual and reproductive health care is essential for women's rights and gender equality"
said the commissioner.
The human rights commissioner called on member states to comply with relevant international human rights standards and to ensure a supportive legal environment in which women and girls can freely exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.
In order to fully ensure the sexual and reproductive rights of women and girls, Mijatovic made recommendations to the member states of the Council of Europe, among which he highlighted the provision of comprehensive sex education, the availability and accessibility of affordable contraception and related information. According to your recommendations
member states should strive to remove remaining barriers and restrictions to ensure access to quality abortion care.
Governments must provide dignified and respectful gynecological and obstetric care free of discrimination and violence to all women, he wrote. The human rights commissioner also urged the development of effective measures to deal with discrimination based on gender identity, to prevent a possible decline in the protection of sexual and reproductive rights, and to ensure conditions enabling the work of human rights defenders working to promote the relevant rights.
International Women's Day was celebrated for the first time in 1911, and since 1913 it has been celebrated on March 8. The UN General Assembly made it an official holiday in 1977.
MTI
Cover: Dunja Mijatovic, Commissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe. Photo: Council of Europe
