COVID-19: Ensure women’s access to sexual and reproductive health and rights
Council of Europe, 7. 5. 2020
Statement by Commissioner Dunja Mijatović
It is already clear that the pandemic will deepen existing gender inequalities, given women’s over-representation in professions (and other unpaid activities) which expose them to a high risk of infection and in low-paid and precarious jobs which will be particularly badly affected by the ensuing economic crisis. Worryingly, the lockdown imposed in several European countries has also increased the exposure of women to gender-based violence, in particular domestic violence and sexual violence. While many member states are taking laudable measures in an attempt to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis on women’s rights and gender equality, they should not neglect women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. Full respect of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights is an essential component of Council of Europe member states’ obligations to guarantee women’s human rights and advance gender equality. Continue reading
Joint civil society statement on COVID-19 and abortion
NGOs, 23. 4. 2020
Today, we addressed the president of the SR, the president of the Slovakian parliament and the prime minister an appeal not to misuse the current COVID-19 pandemic for further restrictions in women´s human rights in the area of sexual and reproductive health. On the contrary, it is necessary to guarantee their safe and timely access to essential sexual and reproductive health services, goods, and information in this situation.
The Joint civil society statement (8 April 2020):
European governments must ensure safe and timely access to abortion care during the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic and public health crisis is presenting grave challenges for health care systems across Europe. As European countries work to address the pandemic, protect their populations, and meet the increased demand on health care workers and health care facilities it is vital that they adopt measures to safeguard the health, human dignity, physical and mental integrity, and reproductive autonomy of women and girls in the region. Continue reading
Public Defender of Rights: Access to sexual and reproductive health services during the COVID-19 pandemic
PDOR, 22. 4. 2020
Related to the providing of adequate services in the area of sexual and reproductive health during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Public Defender of Rights (PDOR) Mária Patakyová addressed minister of healthcare Marek Krajčí. Medialised information as well as NGOs reports show that doctors in some healthcare facilities in Slovakia refuse to perform abortions in the current situation. Hereby below, we present the full statement of the PDOR:
Media reports as well as reports from NGOs show that some health care facilities in Slovakia restricted women’s right to a birth companion of her choice during the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, some health care facilities deny women access to pain relief (epidural analgesia), or perform caesarean section, or separate women from their newborns without proper medical indication. Some doctors are using the COVID-19 pandemic to suspend abortion care.
The Public Defender of Rights is concerned that these practices are not in line with international human rights standards and World Health Organization´s guidelines. Continue reading
Appeal for compliance with healthcare standards in childbirth during the COVID-19 pandemic
CDA/ODZ + ŽK, 30. 3. 2020
An open letter to relevant government & public authorities, institutions and health care facilities
Non-governmental organisations Ženské kruhy (Women’s Circles) and Občan, demokracia a zodpovednosť (Citizen, Democracy and Accountability) have for several years been documenting violations of women’s human rights during childbirths in Slovak hospitals. Health care provided to women in connection with childbirth is emergency medical care and its provision must be in line with the relevant standards, even at a time of epidemics. Pregnant and birthing women represent a specific group of vulnerable population which deserves special attention. However, the relevant government institutions and the measures they have adopted so far pay almost no attention to the situation of pregnant and birthing women.
Continue reading
Dubravka Šimonović presented her report on violence against women
The UN General Assembly, 4. 10. 2019
On Friday October 4th, 2019, Dubravka Šimonović, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on violence against women, its causes and consequences, presented her report on human rights approach to mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services with a focus on childbirth and obstetric violence. The report describes current manifestations of violence and other mistreatment of women during providing obstetric care in healthcare facilities all over the world. It addresses States with recommendations how to effectively solve system problems in this field. The report was submitted to the Human Rights Council pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/170. It was presented and discussed at the 74th session of the UN Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural). Continue reading
The UN Special Rapporteur Dubravka Šimonović released the report on violence against women
The UN General Assembly, 11. 7. 2019
Dubravka Šimonović, the Special Rapporteur of the Human Rights Council on violence against women, its causes and consequences, submitted the report analysing the issue of mistreatment and violence against women in reproductive health services with a focus on childbirth and obstetric violence, as well as the root causes and structural issues that need to be addressed to combat such forms of mistreatment and violence. The report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 71/170. Continue reading
Mistreatment and violence against women during reproductive health care with a focus on childbirth
CDA/ODZ + ŽK, 20. 5. 2019
Here below, find the Joint submission to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women by our NGO Občan, demokracia a zodpovednosť (Citizen, Democracy and Accountability) and Ženské kruhy (Women’s Circles), May 2019:
Občan, demokracia a zodpovednosť (Citizen, Democracy and Accountability – CDA) and Ženské kruhy (Women’s Circles) present this submission to the Special Rapporteur on violence against women for its consideration in the context of Mistreatment and violence against women during reproductive health care with a focus on childbirth.
CDA (www.odz.sk) is an independent civic association that promotes the values of open society based on civic responsibility and the accountability of public authorities. One of CDA’s primary aims is to assert everyone’s rights to human dignity and to protection from discrimination, as well as to assert the human rights of women. Women’s circles (www.zenskekruhy.sk) is an independent civic association focusing on the field of maternity care and the rights therein. One of the goals is that respect, dignity and the freedom of choice for women in pregnancy and childbirth would become self-evident. Continue reading
Istanbul ratification still nowhere in sight
The Slovak Spectator, 19. 4. 2018
The international document preventing violence against women was one of the reasons why a former justice minister left the government.
Thousands of people protested against the international convention to prevent violence against women, but the government ratified it anyway. That is last week’s news from Croatia, where the protest in the city of Split on April 12 did not stop the parliament from giving the green light to the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, better known as the Istanbul Convention. Slovakia signed the convention under the government of Iveta Radičová in 2011 but the governments that followed, all led by Smer, have been reluctant to ratify the document, along with nine other EU countries. Continue reading
Individualized, supportive care key to positive childbirth experience, says WHO
WHO, 15. 2. 2018
WHO has issued new recommendations to establish global care standards for healthy pregnant women and reduce unnecessary medical interventions. Worldwide, an estimated 140 million births take place every year. Most of these occur without complications for women and their babies. Yet, over the past 20 years, practitioners have increased the use of interventions that were previously only used to avoid risks or treat complications, such as oxytocin infusion to speed up labour or caesarean sections.
“We want women to give birth in a safe environment with skilled birth attendants in well-equipped facilities. However, the increasing medicalization of normal childbirth processes are undermining a woman’s own capability to give birth and negatively impacting her birth experience,” says Dr Princess Nothemba Simelela, WHO Assistant Director-General for Family, Women, Children and Adolescents. “If labour is progressing normally, and the woman and her baby are in good condition, they do not need to receive additional interventions to accelerate labour,” she says. Continue reading
WOMEN – MOTHERS – BODIES II: Systemic aspects of violations of women’s human rights in birth care provided in healthcare facilities in Slovakia
CDA/ODZ, 8. 2. 2018
Women – Mothers – Bodies II: Systemic Aspects of Violations of Women’s Human Rights in Birth Care Provided in Healthcare Facilities in Slovakia is a second publication jointly released by Slovak NGOs Občan, demokracia a zodpovednosť (Citizen, Democracy and Accountability) and Ženské kruhy (Women’s Circles) as a result of their long-term cooperation. The book is a sequel to Women – Mothers – Bodies: Women’s Human Rights in Obstetric Care in Healthcare Facilities in Slovakia that gave pilot insights into the violations of women’s human rights in Slovak birthing facilities from the perspective of women as rights holders. Continue reading
