 A Final Push to Rebuild Education in Swaziland
The 'Rebuilding Human Capital in Swaziland' project team presented their final report to the project steering committee on 19 March in Mbabane, Swaziland.
HEARD Film Addresses MDG Issues In April, HEARD's documentary Vukuzakhe - Arise and Build Yourself was screened at this year's Cineposible International Film Festival of Extremadura (Spain).
Young Researchers Writing Workshop a Success The Young Researchers Initiative - a HEARD project that aims to support young researchers from across southern and eastern Africa develop their research and publication skills - brought together 12 young researchers from across the region for a very successful workshop.
New HEARD Report on Legal Obligations Around Women's Reproductive Rights and HIV In 2010 the global community will review whether it has achieved Universal Access to Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support and its progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
  |
Newsletter Issue 4
June 2010 New HEARD Report on Legal Obligations Around Women's Reproductive Rights and HIV
In 2010 the global community will review whether it has achieved Universal Access to Prevention, Treatment, Care and Support and its progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Neither meeting will tell a story of progress and achievement across southern and eastern Africa. Underlying this is the failure of the global community to ensure universal access to women's reproductive rights. In light of this, HEARD and ARASA commissioned a report - authored by Lisel Gerntholtz and Catherine Grant - that explores the legal obligations of countries around women's rights, focused on reproductive health rights. Specifically the report focuses on how three key international treaties - CEDAW, ICESCR and the African Women's Protocol - conceptualise and promote women's reproductive rights. The report reviews whether 18 countries in southern and eastern Africa have ratified and domesticated these treaties. Critically, the report identifies that despite the African Women's Protocol offering a number of world firsts in international treaties, including addressing HIV and AIDS directly, setting out reproductive rights as human rights, and prohibiting harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) - only half of the 18 countries reviewed had ratified the Protocol. Furthermore, there was little transparent reporting on the Protocol. Without such reporting, it is impossible to gauge whether the Protocol is being implemented. The report calls on all Africa countries to ratify the African Women's Protocol, review existing laws in light of the provisions set out in the Protocol and transparently report on the Protocol. Through doing these steps, universal access to women's reproductive health can be achieved, and significant steps can be made towards achieving the MDGs. In the run-up to the release of the final report, HEARD and ARASA have produced three policy briefs focused on the role of the African Women’s Protocol in supporting women’s reproductive rights and HIV and AIDS management, these policy briefs are now available on the HEARD website here.
If you are having problems viewing this email, View it online |
