Reproductive rights

Key Responsibilities:

A critical review of the new NSP response to women’s sexual and reproductive rights The protection and advancement of women’s rights, especially women’s sexual and reproductive rights, are critical aspects of effective responses to HIV. However, a societal context filled with gendered norms and expectations around sex and sexuality severely limits women’s access to and enjoyment of sexual rights and choices, while at the same time, societal expectations of motherhood, compromise women’s rights to make informed reproductive choices.

Progress in health and development in the poorest countries is in serious danger if the world does not make a concerted effort to reduce inequities, protect the environment and promote sustainability. This is the stark warning highlighted in the 2011 Human Development Report, launched on Wednesday by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

How did we become so many? How large a number can our Earth sustain? These are important questions, but perhaps not the right ones for our times. When we look only at the big number, we risk being overwhelmed and losing sight of new opportunities to make life better for everyone in the future. So instead of asking questions like, “Are we too many?” we should instead be asking, “What can I do to make our world better?” or, “What can we do to transform our growing cities into forces for sustainability?” We should also ask ourselves what each of us can do to empower the elderly so they can play a more active role in their communities. What can we do to unleash the creativity and potential of the largest youth cohort humanity has ever seen?