Analyzing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights under the CEDAW Convention

The Asian Pacific Resource and Research Centre for Women (ARROW) along with their partners at the national and regional levels are working towards reaffirming women’s agency to claim sexual and reproductive health and rights. Towards this endeavor, ARROW is actively engaging in research, monitoring, knowledge management and advocacy at national, regional and international levels around the United Nations International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) held in 1994. ICPD marked a significant milestone in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights with its emphasis on the rights of individuals and empowerment of women.

At the same time ARROW has been examining the possibilities of using human rights conventions, covenants, treaties strategies to mainstream and integrate SRHR within these, so as to further affirm government commitments on SRHR at the national level. The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) is a source of international law and considered legally binding. CEDAW addresses all forms of discrimination against women including discrimination in relation to right to health and health services, and guarantees women the exercise and enjoyment of human rights and fundamental freedoms on a basis of equality with men. ARROW underscores the distinguished position of CEDAW convention, the General Recommendations and the Optional Protocol to CEDAW as playing a critical role in women sexual and reproductive health rights