The Center for Reproductive Rights "uses the law to advance reproductive freedom as a fundamental right that all governments are legally obligated to protect, respect and fulfill". The site contains information on the Center's projects in the United States and world-wide. It also provides online access to an extensive collection of publications and documents, including shadow reports on reproductive rights, fact sheets, newsletters and full-text articles. [Descriptors: Reproductive Rights - Reproductive Freedom, International]

This document contains a series of fact sheets on the progress that states have made with respect to human rights since the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action. The fact sheets examine the extent to which the goals laid out in the Programme of Action have been realized, with brief overviews of the following areas: maternal mortality and morbidity; contraceptive information and services; abortion; sexual and reproductive health education and information; the situation of adolescents and youth; the situation of individuals belonging to marginalized and under-served populations; HIV/AIDS; violence against women; and harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and child marriage. The document includes examples of how states have progressed since 1994 in each of these areas, and makes recommendations for guaranteeing these rights going forward.

This document explores the consequences of violence - including sexual, partner, and institutional violence - on women's reproductive and sexual health. Focusing on Latin America and the Caribbean, the authors show how access to reproductive health services and to information concerning reproductive health are necessary to a womans full enjoyment of her human rights. They also demonstrate how violence can be an obstacle to many women's access to reproductive health. Reproductive health is said to implicate the human rights to health, life, non- discrimination, privacy, security, education, information, and freedom from violence. Women involved in physically or sexually abusive intimate relationships are more likely to have their partners interfere with their use of contraception, to experience unwanted pregnancies, and to have unsafe abortions. States that restrict access to reproductive health services present an institutional barrier to pregnant women in violent situations who wish to escape their situation. It is recommended that states in the Americas decriminalize abortion and integrate reproductive health services into their approaches to stopping domestic violence.

This article concerns the emergence of retrogressive laws and policies concerning access to abortion in many Central and Eastern European countries. While many of these countries were among the first to legalize abortion and to make it available in a wide variety of circumstances, there has been a surge in restrictive legislation across Central and Eastern Europe. Such legislation often imposes mandatory waiting periods and biased counselling and information requirements on people seeking abortions. The article discusses the deleterious effects of such policies on women and references many international organizations and authorities which have decried those practices. The human rights implicated in these practices are explored. The article also examines the impacts of these measures on womens physical and mental health, and how they contribute to the perpetuation of stereotypes of and discrimination against women are considered.

This document provides a comprehensive toolkit to understand how states can protect the value of prenatal life while respecting womens fundamental rights. The toolkit sets out international and comparative legal standards for interpreting right to life protections, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), and the European Convention on Human Rights. The toolkit also identifies how relevant human rights, public health, and scientific evidence support legal protections to guarantee women's rights. In the report, the Centre identifies this support as a crucial step in protecting the right to life and ensuring the health and well-being of women and their children. Through illustrative case studies, the Centre argues that, where States protect a right to life before birth without regard for women's rights, inconsistencies in law arise that jeopardize women's fundamental rights while doing little to protect prenatal life or existing children.

This report begins by outlining the causes of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity including the "three delays model" (delay in deciding to seek health care, and in reaching and waiting at the health care centre) and social and economic factors. It then summarizes international human rights obligations that intersect with the right to safe pregnancy and childbirth, including resolutions passed by the UN Human Rights Council and obligations under the Millennium Development Goals. The report next gives a broad overview of regional efforts to improve maternal health, and showcases Eritrea, Nepal, Romania and Uruguay as countries that have taken significant steps to address preventable maternal mortality and morbidity. Finally, it explores a number of strategies that have been effective in holding member states accountable to their international obligations, such as collecting information on the impact of inadequate maternal health care, engaging national human rights institutions, citizen monitoring, and national litigation. The report provides recommendations to further realize the right to safe pregnancy and childbirth including seeking substantive equality for women, participation of women in creating national health strategies, and providing government accountability at the national, regional and international level.

The document provides a list of legal reforms relating to abortion instituted in various countries since the 1994 Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development. The vast majority of the legal reforms have broadened the circumstances under which abortion is legal, but there are some countries which have taken steps to legally restrict access to abortion. The article begins with the list of countries that have liberalized their abortion laws nation-wide, followed by the countries that have liberalized their abortion laws in particular regions only. Lastly, the document lists countries that have issued regulations to restrict access to abortion.

This briefing paper outlines the Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa, which was ratified by 15 African governments in 2005. The protocol calls for broad protection for womens human rights, including their sexual and reproductive rights. Concrete suggestions are offered for womens health and rights advocates within and beyond Africa. Detailed information is also provided to help African women use the protocol to exercise their reproductive rights, as well as suggestions for governments to implement the protocols landmark provisions. The paper can also serve as a resource for advocates outside Africa who are seeking to establish similar guarantees. The topics covered by the protocol include reproductive health services, abortion, HIV/AIDS, sexual education, violence against women, and rights within marriage.

This resource is a guide for advocates working to stop FGM, intended to assist with engaging governments by holding them accountable under international human rights law. Characterizing FGM as a violation of the human rights of women and girls has significant consequences for both NGOs and governments. A multi-strategy approach receptive to the efforts of NGOs and international organizations must be guided by respect for the human rights of girls and women, and will promote social participation and economic empowerment as critical practices in establishing accountability for human rights violations. Regional coordination is essential in advancing policies to eliminate FGM, as is the adequate monitoring of national progress.

This paper includes a section (see page 5) on the right to marry and found a family, listing the applicable international human rights law sources and international consensus documents. The paper also provides examples of national laws and policies that serve to violate the human rights of disabled women. [Descriptors: Marriage - International]