HEALTH: BUILDING COMMON GROUND AROUND SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH AND RIGHTS

Challenges related to FoRB and gender equality in the area of health are multiple.

While discussions in the Expert Consultation Process focused on a range of different challenges, there was broad consensus among participants that issues related to sexual and reproductive health and rights constitute one of the most pressing concerns. This is an area where the relationship between FoRB and gender equality is particularly strained, in part due to misperceptions, but also because of very real conflicts over values and norms, often religious. There is a need for open and respectful dialogue with those who, for various reasons, are critical of sexual and reproductive health and rights, but also for broader and more coordinated action among those who are advocating for this, including both secular and religious actors. Faith-based organisations and networks already engaged in work on sexual and reproductive health and rights can play an important role in this.

PROMOTING FREEDOM OF RELIGION OR BELIEF AND GENDER EQUALITY IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS: A FOCUS ON ACCESS TO JUSTICE, EDUCATION AND HEALTH

RELEVANT SDG TARGETS

3.7: By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes 5.6 Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive

rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences

Recommendations in this area include:

• Governments are encouraged to introduce and implement laws for the

elimination of harmful practices. Governments are also encouraged to abolish laws that restrict women’s access to health care, including e.g. requirement of guardian or third-party consent to access health care, restrictions on access to family planning, and overly restrictive abortion laws, often justified with reference to religion or ‘morals’.

• Strengthening – and broadening – of alliances of actors working for sexual and reproductive health and rights at national and international levels, including secular advocates for sexual and reproductive health and rights, faith-based NGOs, interreligious networks, religious leaders and others. Involvement of like-minded FoRB advocates should be prioritised, encouraging the use of FoRB as an argument in advocacy, strategic litigation, campaigning and other initiatives seeking to dismantle religious opposition to sexual and reproductive health and rights and promote alternative religious interpretations.

• Training and literacy initiatives targeted secular advocates working on sexual and reproductive health and rights to encourage greater understanding not only of FoRB, but also of the various religious interpretations, positions and dynamics around sexual and reproductive health and rights.

• Facilitation of dialogue between advocates of sexual and reproductive health and rights (religious as well as secular) and their critics, including socially conservative FoRB advocates. Such dialogues should stay clear of dogmatism from both sides and involve pragmatic representatives who share a common goal of reducing suffering and increasing health and wellbeing.²⁴⁷ Closed-door conversations and other methodologies to establish safe spaces are important.

religious leaders and communities on SRHR and other religiously controversial issues. While recent years have witnessed increasing attention to this work among donors, there is still a need for more systematic involvement of faith-based organisations in efforts around sexual and reproductive health and rights, including in terms of funding, consultation, and coordination.

IDEAS FOR ACTION

Documenting the use of FoRB as a legal argument for sexual and reproductive health and rights

In the report, Whose Faith Matters? The Fight for Religious Liberty Beyond the Christian Right (2019), the Law, Rights and Religion Project at Columbia Law School explores the ways in which FoRB has been used as a legal argument for sexual and reproductive health and rights, challenging conventional narratives around FoRB as a right that primarily protects the values and practices of the

‘religious right’. While the report focuses solely on a US context, researchers and NGOs elsewhere could use this as inspiration to document more broadly how FoRB can be used to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, encouraging new narratives around FoRB as a potential tool for women’s empowerment.

Case studies on the development of religiously sensitive approaches to sexual and reproductive health and rights

Effective implementation of international human rights frameworks on the ground requires context-embedded responses that resonate with local norms and practices. Many actors point to the usefulness of ‘translating’ international SRHR standards into a religiously acceptable language. Unpacking sexual and reproductive health and rights may also be useful in advancing gradual acceptance of specific components, rather than engaging with the entirety from the start.²⁴⁸ However, there is also a risk that such gradual processes of translation end up reinforcing existing gender disparities under the disguise of contextualizing international standards on sexual and reproductive health and rights. A collection of case studies, and a systematic analysis of the lessons learned from these, could contribute to building knowledge and evidence in this area.

Revising UNESCO International Guidelines on Sexuality Education (2009)

Sexuality education is a complex and controversial topic in many contexts, and its promotion requires nuanced and sensitive approaches. UNESCO’s 2009 guidelines provide a good starting point, but could benefit from revision, including a stronger focus on religious actors, norms and practices. Such a revision would best be carried out in close consultation and cooperation with a wide range of religious actors, including faith-based NGOs, formal religious leaders, religious women’s rights activists and sexual and reproductive health experts.

APPENDIX

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS IN EXPERT CONSULTATION