10 December 2010
Every day millions of women and girls endure sexual violence, many thousands of girls and young women are forced into marriages they don't want, millions more are denied the basic right to say no to sex, and every day men and women are stigmatized and criminalized because they are HIV positive, or in a same sex relationship.
On Human Rights Day (10 December) IPPF is reminding the world that sexual rights are human rights, and denying the sexual rights of individuals has severe consequences for the wellbeing of women, men and young people everywhere.
Sexual rights encompass a range of issues related to our sexual health and our sexual identity. They are fundamental to wellbeing, health, equal opportunity and development. Although they are implicit in human rights principles, too often they are ignored by governments.
IPPF Director-General Dr Gill Greer:
“Human rights are for all people. Without these none of us can fulfil our potential. Sexual rights are an integral part of human rights, without them people are vulnerable to numerous abuses. When sexual rights are respected, they can improve the health and lives of both individuals and communities, and contribute to social justice and equality.”
To underline the importance of sexual rights, IPPF published ‘Sexual Rights in Action’ – a collection of real life stories from around the world that show what it’s like to live in a world where these rights are denied, and where there is discrimination, stigma and abuse.
In Afghanistan, for example, Zubaida tells us what it was like to be married off at 13 to an abusive older man; Jean Felix from Cameroon describes what it is like to live in hiding from state-sponsored persecution; while Beybeti draws on her own experience to campaign against female genital mutilation in Mauritania – something she describes as ‘sexual terrorism’.
The stories show why sexual rights are worth fighting for. They also remind us how important it is that they are enshrined in human rights.
IPPF is both a service provider and an advocate of sexual and reproductive health and rights. We are a worldwide network of 151 Member Associations active in over 170 countries.
Read more
Sexual Rights in Action
Sexual Rights: an IPPF Declaration
This declaration is an interpretation of international human rights and the entitlements related to human sexuality that IPPF believes are implicit in them. It recognizes the sexual rights of society’s most vulnerable and marginalized groups, including those subjected to sexual violence, stigma and discrimination.
Contact
Paul Bell on:+44 (0)207 939 8233