What is a human rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health?
A Rights-based approach to sexual and reproductive health is a conceptual framework promoting the protection, empowerment, and equality of all people, including young people, in all aspects of their lives, including their sexual lives. At the most core level, it is a way of thinking about and approaching sexual and reproductive health that is informed by and grounded in internationally agreed upon human rights.
A rights-based approach to young people’s sexual and reproductive health:
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Recognizes and promotes young people’s internationally recognized human rights, including sexual and reproductive rights
- Educates and informs young people of the existence and meaning of their rights
- Empowers young people to exercise their rights and advocate for their rights
- Strives to protect these rights, ensuring that all young people can enjoy them
- Seeks to make socio-cultural environments more accepting of young people’s rights
- Values and involves communities, including young people and adults, as partners in efforts to address rights
- Focuses on the process through which programmes are developed and implemented, as well as the outcomes.
A rights-based approach towards the sexual and reproductive health of young people gained momentum during the 1990s when for the first time young people were internationally recognized as sexual beings with a right to education, information, youth friendly services, protection and participation. A number of key human rights instruments and United Nations conferences were driving forces in the emergence of a human rights framework for addressing sexual and reproductive health, including the International Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981) and the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) (1994).
Important international human rights treaties and conferences contributing to the development of the human rights framework:
- Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (1969)
- International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (1976)
- International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (1976)
- International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (1981)
- Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (1987)
- International Convention of the Rights of the Child (1989)
- International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994)
- Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing, 1995)
