Aiming to defend the rights of women and girls as well as bodily autonomy rights, the Women Deliver Conference was a platform to advance and debate on strategic ideas for the achievement of these rights. A plenary session entitled “Challenging the Tide: Empowering Feminist Movements to Counter Anti-Rights Agendas” took place on July 19, 2023. This article presents the a few points discussed around the theme.
The summary promotion post of the side event was: “One of the most challenging crisis confronting feminism today is the global rollback of rights led by vocal anti-gender and anti-rights movements that seek to undermine many of the hard-fought gains of human rights movements, including those for gender equality. From the rise of gender ideology, anti-trans, and anti-choice movements; activists, and advocates in all corners of the globe are resisting, disrupting, and confronting anti-rights movements and coming together to restore the fundamental rights to health and bodily autonomy” (WomenDeliver.org).
From the perspective of the side event, the world is at risk due to the existence of anti-rights movements. The perceptions of the speakers from the event of so-called anti-rights movements are as follows. Anti-rights movements are organizations claiming to be defenders of family values and saying that Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) are not pro-family. Anti-rights movements directly attack LGBTQI+ movements and their rights and believe that SRHR are tools to justify the entry of young people into sexual activity. The anti-rights movements also believe that SRHR will lead children to rebel against their parents. The gender hierarchy promoted by the anti-rights movements is perceived as a nuclear family model. The initiatives of anti-rights movements are considered as viruses that block what the world could imagine to have a better and fulfilled social life.
Firstly, the label “anti-rights” refers the pro-life movements or organizations as a bad, negative or harmful designation. The “pro-life” designation is recommended and should be respected by everyone because the main value defended here is indeed life in all its forms. Then, pro-life initiatives believe that everyone should enjoy their rights but also respect those of others. Regarding SRHR, pro-life initiatives believe that every person has the right to live and to have access to health rights and services only if it is for defending lives of those that are concerned of the act. And finally, pro-life initiatives promote the importance of the image of a traditional family for a better education and life fulfilment of each individual as possible.
In relation to all of these ideas and perceptions, and regardless of the rumors, veracity or basis of the ideas discussed at the event, it is important to recognize that each party, pro-life or pro-choice, should pursue their own agendas in a respectful way for the other party. Even if the perception and belief on the concept of defending lives are not the same.
Image: WomenDeliver.org
The blogs published on this news site are created by contributors to the International Youth Coalition. The opinions, views, and statements expressed in these blogs belong solely to the respective authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or positions of the affiliated organization.
About The Contributor
