This represents our response to the challenge of applying internationally agreed human rights language to sexual and reproductive health and rights issues.

By drawing on relevant extracts from international human rights treaties, the Charter demonstrates the legitimacy of sexual and reproductive rights as key human rights issues.

Since these treaties have the status of international law, states that have ratified them have entered into legally binding obligations to honour them within the legislative frameworks of their own countries.

The Charter has been designed as a tool to help Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) to hold governments accountable for promises they have made in upholding human rights in general, and sexual and reproductive rights in particular.

The twelve basic human rights, with examples of their relevance to sexual and reproductive rights work, appear as links below, or you can download a full version of our rights document as a PDF at the bottom of this page.

Guidelines

1: The Right to Life  
   
2: The Right to Liberty and Security of the Person 
     
3: The Right to Equality, and to be free from all forms of discrimination 
        
4: The Right to Privacy   
   
5: The Right to Freedom of Thought

6: The Right to Information and Education
   
7: The Right to Choose whether or not to Marry and to Found and Plan a Family 
   
8: The Right to Decide whether or when to have Children

9: The Right to Health Care and Health Protection

10: The Right to the Benefits of Scientific Progress

11: The Right to Freedom of Assembly and Political Participation

12: The Right to be Free from Torture and Ill Treatment

Posters