The Committee of Experts on Women’s Rights highlighted this Friday that The United States is one of only seven countries in the world that is not a party to the convention. It protects the fundamental guarantees of women, including sexual and reproductive health.
“Committee for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) Urge the United States to Join To the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in order to respect, protect, fulfill and promote the human rights of women and girls,” the expert group said in a statement.
CEDAW noted that while the United States signed off on that instrument in 1980, it still it is not confirmed,
Countries where women have the right to terminate unwanted pregnancies and have the lowest abortion rates among all contraceptive methods.
A big blow to women’s rights
The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, has referred to the US Supreme Court’s decision a week ago to end legal access to abortion as “a serious blow to the fundamental guarantees of women”. and gender equality,
The committee once again reiterated its call for state parties to end punitive measures for women who seek abortions legalize itAt least in situations of rape, incest, threat to the life or health of the pregnant woman, and severe fetal disability.
“With 189 States Parties, the CEDAW Convention is The only near-universal treaty that comprehensively protects women’s human rightsincluding their rights to sexual and reproductive health,” the committee noted.
The UN-appointed panel drew particular attention to Article 16 of the Convention, which “protects the rights of women”. make decisions independently and responsibly Describing the number of children she has and the gap between them, she said that unsafe abortion is one of the leading causes of maternal mortality.
He also explained that, in accordance with Article 12 of the instrument, the right to health includes bodily autonomy and includes sexual and reproductive freedom of women and girls.
Abortion rights supporters march in front of the United States Supreme Court in Washington. The banner reads: Election is a human right.
decide on your body
Access to safe and legal abortion and quality post-abortion care, especially in cases of complications from unsafe abortion, Contributes to reducing maternal mortalityTo prevent adolescent and unwanted pregnancies, and to guarantee women the right to make independent decisions on their own bodies.
The Committee has repeatedly emphasized that the denial of access to safe and legal abortion constitutes “a serious restriction on the ability of women to exercise their reproductive freedom”, and that “Forcing women to terminate a pregnancy involves mental and physical pain. Gender-based violence against women in violation of the CEDAW Convention and, in some circumstances, equivalent to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The Committee reiterated its commitment to uphold the human rights of women and girls around the world, saying that “Will not surrender to this mandateespecially when it comes to access to safe and legal abortion for all women”.
