Olympic Hall, Nicosia
Sexual and reproductive health is safeguarded through sexual and reproductive rights. As recognized in Article 96 of the Beijing Platform for Action (1995), these rights are based on human rights, equality and dignity
Sexual and reproductive rights, including the right to maternal health care and family planning, include freedoms and rights linked to many of the already established civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights. Although sexual and reproductive rights are two different concepts, reproductive rights are an aspect of sexual rights, in the same way that sexual rights are part of reproductive rights.
Sexual and reproductive rights are human rights, violations of which are a violation of the rights of women and girls to equality, fair treatment, dignity and health, and to a life free from inhuman and I cite the following as examples:
- unintended and unwanted pregnancy is still a problem for many women in the EU, including teenage girls,
- in almost a third of Member States, contraceptives are not covered by public health insurance, which constitutes a serious barrier to access for certain groups of women, including low-income women, adolescents and women living in violent relationships,
- women are disproportionately affected by the lack of sexual and reproductive health and rights due to the nature of human reproduction and the gender-based social, legal and economic context in which it takes place,
- a persistent lack of awareness and information on key issues such as fertility.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
No state can achieve the highest possible standard of health unless sexual and reproductive health and rights for all are fully recognized and promoted.
The state must provide quality sexual and reproductive health services tailored to the needs of specific groups without discrimination or fear of criticism (e.g. young people and vulnerable groups).
Sexual and Reproductive Rights should be addressed in a broader context of structural discrimination and gender inequalities. I believe this will bring about a number of positive developments which I list below:
√ Access to contraception and safe abortion services to prevent unwanted pregnancies;
√ Comprehensive sexuality education and youth-friendly services, including ensuring universal access to comprehensive information, education and services in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights.
√ Adolescent-friendly sexual and reproductive health services that are age, maturity and evolving capacities appropriate, non-discriminatory on the basis of gender, marital status, disability and sexual orientation/identity, and that do not require parental or guardian consent to access.
√ Mandatory sex and emotional relations education for all children and adolescents, such as programmes and courses at postgraduate level and education on issues related to sexual health and reproductive rights, aimed at medical students and health professionals.
√ Sexuality education should include combating stereotypes and prejudice, as well as all forms of gender-based violence and violence against women and girls, providing information and denouncing discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation.
In our country we have taken some steps, but not comprehensive ones. We have a long way to go to achieve the desired results. On the positive side, we list the change in abortion legislation, decriminalising abortions up to 12 weeks or up to 19 weeks due to rape, maternal or foetal health, thus giving women the right to decide for themselves about their own bodies.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the initiative of the National Mechanism for Women's Rights (NMWR), we are implementing on a regular and systematic basis actions and programmes aimed at raising awareness and informing civil society, especially women, on key issues such as the one we are discussing today. Today's event is the start of a campaign to inform and raise awareness among women about their reproductive rights and sexual health. The sum of 20,000 from the EMCDDA budget will be spent on this educational campaign. At this point let me express my sincere thanks for the excellent cooperation we had with the organizing committee for the organization of the workshop on behalf of the EMDR Council, Andri Andronikou, Eleni Evagorou, Nicoletta Louka, as well as to my colleagues in the EMDR Office Andri Savvas, Maria Stavrou and Dora Charalambous.
In conclusion, I would like to stress once again that efforts to achieve results should be collective, intensive, systematic and continuous and should aim at eradicating all substantive obstacles that hinder the achievement of equality. Recognizing that the principle of equality is a basic and essential condition for sustainable development, prosperity and progress in all areas of life without exception, I assure you that we will continue and intensify this effort until its full and effective implementation.
(NG/SX)
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