IPPF recognizes and believes that everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association and, therefore, commits itself to the following:1
11.1 All persons have the right to assemble and to canvass for sexual and reproductive health and rights.
11.2 All persons have the right to form an association that aims to promote sexual and reproductive health and well-being.
AND further commits itself to taking all steps to ensure the attainment of the following right:
11.3 All persons have the right to seek to influence governments to place a priority on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Notes
1. Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948, Art. 20: “Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. No one may be compelled to belong to an association.” Ibid, Art. 21.1: “Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.”
The right can be used to address issues relating to:
- Community action to improve access to sexual and reproductive health services
- Community campaigns to change laws related to sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Community action to address issues such as gender-based violence
- The defence of individuals or organizations persecuted for matters relating to sexual and reproductive health and rights
Facts & figures
- Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and individuals worldwide have campaigned against the Global Gag Rule, which denies U.S. family planning assistance to foreign NGOs that use funding from any source to carry out abortion related activities. The Global Gag Rule restricts lobbying to make abortion legal, or more available.1
- Women parliamentarians and NGOs fought for the legalization of the oral contraceptive pill in Japan. The Japanese government, after deliberating for nine years, finally decided to allow its limited sale in 1999.2
- Amina Lawal, a young Nigerian woman with a young baby, was sentenced to death by stoning in March 2002 after being found guilty of committing adultery. Human rights organizations worldwide strongly opposed this outcome and have advocated on Amina Lawal’s behalf.3
On 23 September 2003, Amina Lawal was cleared of adultery by an Islamic court.4
- The Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children, a network of affiliates in 26 African countries and three European countries, has raised awareness about female genital mutilation through campaigns and training in schools and communities.5
1 IPPF
2 Pro-Choice Forumhttp://www.prochoiceforum.org.uk/comm13.asp
3 Amnesty Internationalhttp://www.amnesty.org.uk/action/aminalawal.shtml
4 Agence France Presse via PLANetWIRE (25 September 2003)PLANetWIREClips@ccmc.org
5 UNFPA (2000) The State of World Population p30