Sexual Rights Research Articles

Insufficient responses to rape in Ouagadougou: Reflections on the experiences of young female survivors

The rape of girls and women raises questions about both prevention and the response in Burkina Faso. This article looks at the inadequacy of the response to rape in Ouagadougou. It is based on an analysis of cases of rape experienced by young women in the city and documented between 2005 and 2009. The study highlights the gap between the attitude of the victims, whether or not they are inclined to report the act and seek support, and the existing response in this area, whether in their entourage, at the community level, or at the institutional level. The study concludes that there is a need for more in-depth research into the representations and experiences of rape survivors in Ouagadougou and, more broadly, in Burkina Faso. Such research will enable us to identify gaps and appropriate strategies so that survivors are offered a holistic response that is more conducive to respect for their sexual and reproductive rights. Appropriate responses should involve improving the response system, so as to minimize obstacles and make institutional support more accessible to survivors.

Challenging the local logics of oppression in times of post-colonial amnesia – a study of Ugandan LGBT+ activism in digital media spaces

ABSTRACT Against the backdrop of an increasingly repressive environment, the study explores to what degree five established LGBT+ organizations use self-controlled digital spaces, Twitter and Facebook, during one month in 2022 to expose and challenge constructs that rationalize oppression of Ugandan LGBT+. The analysis revealed that digital media spaces were not used to challenge the local logics of oppression or contemporary processes sustaining oppression. Instead, spaces, often displaying a conspicuously uniform Western sexual rights language, focused on providing digital services and/or notification of offline services to the community and promoting the individual organization. The adoption of Western sexual rights campaign language, including using LGBT+ as identity labels to communicate Ugandan same-sex desires and gender identities, could be explained by the community’s dependency on international resources. The study’s contribution lies in its astute reminder – that the realization of digital spaces’ emancipatory potential is dependent on the political economy of the activists' context.

Study protocol for a type-II hybrid effectiveness-implementation trial to reach teenagers using mobile money shops to reduce unintended pregnancies in Uganda

IntroductionUnintended teenage pregnancies have become a global public health challenge, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa. There is a notably high prevalence of unintended pregnancies among unmarried teenagers in Uganda. This study...

Why Autocracies Fear LGBTQ+ Rights

Abstract: During the past decades, the rights of sexual minorities have been subject to both expansion and resistance at domestic and international levels. This essay investigates the resistance to sexual orientation and gender identity (SOGI) rights by focusing on the position of autocratic regimes in international organizations. It examines the history and evolution of discussions regarding SOGI within the United Nations (UN) and presents an analysis of the positions taken by countries in all SOGI resolutions adopted by the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). Democracies and autocracies are clearly divided on the topic of LGBTQ+ rights, with the latter vehemently opposing proposals to expand sexual minorities' rights. This autocratic resistance is rooted in fears of empowered minorities challenging the status quo and the perceived threat of SOGI rights as a gateway to broader liberal values. By leveraging cultural anxieties and joining forces with other nondemocratic regimes, autocracies exploit traditional values to resist the expansion of international liberal norms. The United Nations must adopt policy recommendations aimed at countering opposition to SOGI rights by emphasizing the universality of human rights, combating cultural relativism, and reframing the national sovereignty argument to garner broader support for SOGI rights.

Mothers, Soldiers, and Families

Abstract The article examines gender representations and their functions in depictions of Polish Holocaust rescuers in public discourse, commemoration, culture, and education during the last two decades. It focuses on several individuals and one family who emerged as the most recognizable and celebrated rescuers, meant to embody Poles’ attitudes toward Jews. The article argues that rescuers’ legacies were formatted to fit a traditional Polish ethos of armed struggle and martyrdom. While stereotypical “female” and “male” roles and characteristics were attributed to individual rescuers, collectively their status was elevated through inclusion in male-centric, militarized heroism. Both the liberal center and the nationalist right-wing contributed to such conceptualization; increasingly representations of rescue are employed to promote a conservative agenda regarding gender, sexuality, and reproductive rights.

When disability and homoparenting meet: the adoption of children with disability by same sex couples.

The present theoretical essay is based on six reports concerning same-sex couples and gay and lesbian people in order to interconnect homoparenting and the adoption of children with disabilities, through the lenses of human and social sciences in public health. The reports were interpreted in light of studies on same-sex adoption and the adoption of children with disabilities. Feminist approaches related to care and disability were also included in the interpretative perspective, operating as expressive webs of grammars of ableism. It was found that media approaches endorse the right to family formation and the adoption of children with disabilities by homoparental families, but with little critical depth on the category of disability and without highlighting support for the adoption of all adoptee profiles. Moreover, the intersections between homophobia and ableism increase discriminatory and oppressive logics, with the union of social groups considered to be "undesirable" representing a strategy of governmentality that reveals the complexity of grammars of ableism, applied to the sexual and reproductive rights of LGBTQIA+ adopters and to the fundamental rights of children and adolescents with disabilities who are available for adoption.

ICPD at 30 - What African countries need to do better.

In September 1994, the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), that gave birth to the doctrine of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), was held in Cairo, Egypt1. This year is the 30th year following the conference. Given that a total of 179 governments attended the ICPD and agreed to the Platform for Action for promoting and improving sexual and reproductive health and rights, it is appropriate to take stock of changes, expectations, and commitments that have occurred as a result of actions taken by governments. The 57th session of the Commission on Population and Development will be held in April 2024 and will be dedicated to assessing the status of sexual and reproductive health and rights 30 years after Cairo. Additional post-30years events will take place in Geneva, Switzerland in October 19-20, 2024 which are intended to enable the global community to take a look backwards identify ways in which the ICPD processes have influenced global development.

El cuidado de la salud sexual y reproductiva: una mirada desde la perspectiva de las mujeres que tienen sexo con mujeres

Objective: This study is intended to understand the perception of women who have sex with women, regarding the care they receive in health services, within the scope of their sexual and reproductive health, in order to verify whether the care offered to them meets the integrality of their right to health and, also, highlight the role of health professionals in guaranteeing these rights. Methodology: A national literature review was carried out for the elaboration of the data collection instrument and qualitative and quantitative research through an individual form and individual interview via the internet. Results: 287 responses were obtained, the statements revealed the following categories: A- Physical violence suffered in health services, B- Negligence and lack of acceptance in gynecological consultations and health services, C- Presumption of heterosexuality in health services, D- Invisibility and, moral and psychological violence. Conclusion: It was evident that women who have sex with women still suffer a series of discrimination and violence in health services, when seeking comprehensive care, especially with regard to their sexual and reproductive rights. Submission: 05/24/23| Review: 02/20/24| Approval: 02/21/24

Contextual determinants of generational continuation of female genital mutilation among women of reproductive age in nigeria: analysis of the 2018 demographic and health survey

BackgroundFemale genital mutilation (FGM) has negative health implications and has long been recognised as violating sexual rights. Despite the huge efforts expended on eradicating FGM, generational continuation of the practice, i.e. the act of mutilated women also mutilating their daughters, persists in Nigeria. This study investigated the individual, household, and community factors associated with generational continuation of FGM among women in Nigeria.MethodsThe study analysed data from the 2018 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). A weighted sample of 3835 women with FGM history and who had given birth to female children was analysed. Models were estimated using mixed-effects multilevel logistic regression with Stata 16.0.ResultsThe results showed that 40.0% of women continued FGM for their daughters. Regional prevalence of FGM continuation ranged from 14.9% in the South-South (the lowest) to 64.3% in the North-West (the highest). Women aged 15–24 years (uaOR = 0.40; 95% CI:0.28–0.57) and rich (uaOR = 0.44; 95% CI:0.35–0.56) had the least likelihood of generational continuation of FGM. In communities with low proportions of women unexposed to the media, the likelihood of FGM continuation was significantly higher (uaOR = 1.85; 95% CI:1.35–2.53). Generational continuation of FGM was significantly lower in communities with moderate proportions of uneducated mothers (aOR = 0.6; 95% CI:0.42–0.86).ConclusionFGM continuation was high in Nigeria, and it was most common among older and poor mothers and in communities with large proportions of uneducated women and those unexposed to the media. Existing National Policy and Plan on FGM elimination should be strengthened to target these characteristics.

A tool for assessing sexual knowledge of people with Intellectual disabilities in Norway.

Previous research has shown that people with intellectual disabilities have limited sexual knowledge, which can be essential for developing positive sexuality. This study aimed to check the validity and reliability of an assessment tool (SexKunn) for measuring the sexual knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities in Norway. Further, we aimed to identify potential knowledge gaps among the participants and highlight their potential impact. 37 people with intellectual disabilities completed one assessment. 20 participants then completed a retest. Clinicians' (n=23) views on the assessment tool were measured to obtain face validity. Positive and negative agreement analysis was used to identify potential dimensions in the data. A weighted Cohen's kappa for the test and retest of the overall scores was considered to be substantial. The clinicians described an acceptable face validity regarding high positive value scores and low negative burden scores. They also suggested improvements. The study identified that the participants lacked knowledge about female genitals, hygiene, appropriate touching/sexual acts with friends/intimate partners, and contraception. The SexKunn is a feasible assessment tool to measure sexual knowledge in people with intellectual disabilities. A lack of sexual knowledge of people with intellectual disabilities may violate their sexual rights.

Integrating Reproductive Justice Approaches in the Human Rights Framework: A Comparative Analysis of the U.S.A., India, and Indonesia

Sexual health and reproductive rights have become instrumental in defining the constitutional horizons and constitutionalism thereof of a country. In this context, Roe v. Wade emerged as an authority on the issue of abortion, bodily integrity, and sexual health which traveled in various jurisdictions. The paper purports to explore the underlying complexities and challenges in asserting reproductive rights by undertaking a comparative study of the constitutional and legal framework in the U.S.A., India, and Indonesia. The research work carried out is socio-legal, the social realities to elaborate social phenomena about existing legal facts, and the author assessed and analyzed the status of reproductive rights in the U.S.A, India, and Indonesia through a comprehensive analysis of case laws decided by constitutional courts of these countries. The global debate on women's reproductive rights, championed by feminists, emphasizes the urgent need to eradicate gender stereotypes for true equality. Despite progress, many countries still face challenges due to religious, cultural, and socio-economic biases. Access to contraceptives, abortion rights, and information remains limited. Promoting equal parenting and raising awareness are crucial. Legal mechanisms, like Roe v. Wade, have advanced reproductive rights, but regressive rulings like Dobbs pose threats. The demands of diverse communities, including same-sex couples, require revisiting legal frameworks. Constitutionalizing these rights and allocating funds for awareness and healthcare are vital steps. Governments must address child marriage and provide inclusive sex education, prioritizing reproductive health as a fundamental human right.

Navigating the rights of intersex children in Zimbabwe

AbstractDespite the seemingly progressive strides made in promoting the rights of children in many African countries, the rights of intersex children remain hidden. This paper explores the lived experiences of intersex children in Zimbabwe drawing from in‐depth interviews conducted with intersex children aged between 8 and 16 years. The paper reveals a myriad of overlapping challenges faced by intersex children compounded by a lack of legal recognition and influence of cultural and religious discourses which threaten intersex children's sexual and reproductive health rights including their right to bodily autonomy and integrity, as well as their right to education.

Comprehensive horizons: examining Japan’s national and regional sexuality education curricula

ABSTRACT Comprehensive Sexuality Education has been acknowledged globally for its role in advancing young people’s Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. Yet, notable variation exists in definitions and interpretations of what comprehensive means, exposing tensions between international and local values and agendas. This research focused on the situation in Japan, which is largely perceived as ‘lagging behind’ international standards in terms of its sexuality education programming. We aimed to explore the degree of comprehensiveness and variation within Japan’s national and regional sexuality education curricula, using UNESCO’s International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education as a benchmark. Quantitative and qualitative curriculum analysis was conducted using an Excel tool. Findings revealed greater comprehensiveness and regional diversity than previously reported, although significant gaps persist regarding more explicit sexual subject matter and critical gender perspectives. These results illustrated promising progress towards comprehensiveness, even in the conservative educational environment of Japan. Nonetheless, in aspects such as rights, Japanese educational discourse differs substantially from that of the wider international community, contributing to the perception that the country’s sexuality education programme lacks comprehensiveness. This calls for greater cultural responsivity within the Comprehensive Sexuality Education agenda, albeit without compromising its core values and safeguarding of young people’s sexual health and rights.

Body autonomy: women with disabilities and the quest for a sex life free from violence

The present paper aims to analyze the body autonomy of girls and women with disabilities and its influence on a sexual and reproductive life free from violence. Established in 1994, at the International Conference on Population and Development (or ICPD), the expression of bodily autonomy has entered the discourse of human rights advocates, activists, and experts. Other international texts point in the direction of "protecting and guaranteeing the right of all individuals to physical integrity, autonomy, and reproductive rights, and to provide access to essential services in support of these rights," such as the voluntary Nairobi Declaration (2019), the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006), and the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, which established, among its goals, the achievement of sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights for all, reaffirming the importance of the theme for the development of a society with gender equality. With bibliographical research and statistical data, authors such as Gesser, Beauvoir, Butler Honneth, and Becker have been used to establish a dialogue about disability and its necessary intersectionalities, to understand the condition of women with disabilities within a patriarchal, sexist, ableist, and racist society that reifies and silences them, reducing their lives to the private sphere, as if they were objects. Thus, we conclude that education for bodily autonomy, through the emancipatory process of girls and women with disabilities is one of the paths to be followed for the eradication of gender violence against this vulnerable group.

Prevalence of perceived discrimination, determinants and associations with self-rated general and sexual health, healthcare utilization and self-perceived integration: a cross-sectional survey of migrants in Sweden

BackgroundSweden has welcomed migrants, but attitudes have shifted, becoming hostile due to populism and the growing number of migrants. This has left migrants feeling unwelcome and marginalized. Few studies have examined the extent to which migrants perceive discrimination, who, why, where and its relationships with different outcomes. This study has two aims: to assess the prevalence, reasons, and determinants of perceived discrimination among migrants (1) and its associations with self-rated health, sexual health, healthcare use, and integration (2).MethodsWe analysed data from a 2018 survey on migrants’ sexual and reproductive health and rights. The survey included 1740 migrants aged 16 or older. We used descriptive and log-binomial regression analyses to estimate prevalence, crude and adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) with 95% confidence interval (CI).ResultsAbout 36% of participants perceived discrimination in Sweden, with ethnic origin (62%) and religion (35%) as main reasons. Perceived discrimination occurred in public spaces (47%), schools (33%), internet (20%), work (19%), public services (18%), residential areas (16%), and healthcare settings (10%). Migrant men (APR: 1.26, CI:1.07–1.49), born in Middle East and North Africa (APR: 1.57, CI:1.26–1.95) and South Asia (APR: 1.61, CI:1.27–2.04) regions, with more than 12 years of education (APR: 1.33, CI:1.10–1.60), a non-heterosexual orientation (APR: 1.21, CI: 1.02–1.43), a non-Christian religion (APR: 1.41, CI: 1.10–1.80), economic stress (APR:1.67, CI: 1.44–1.93) or Swedish language skills (APR: 1.24, CI:1.07–1.43) perceived discrimination more than their counterparts. In contrast, the oldest participants (46 years or more) perceived less discrimination (APR:0.55, CI: 0.37–0.80) than the youngest ones (16–25 years). Moreover, perceived discrimination was associated with poor self-rated general (APR:1.72, CI: 1.45–2.04) and sexual health (APR:1.40, CI:1.2–1.64), integration (APR:1.25, CI:1.14–1.37), and healthcare access (APR: 1.48, 1.16–1.89).ConclusionsThis study shows that migrants in Sweden face widespread perceived discrimination based on ethnicity and religion. This can affect their health, healthcare use, and social integration. The study calls for policies and interventions that tackle systemic perceived discrimination, foster inclusion, and guarantee equal opportunities in accessing healthcare and resources for migrants. It also urges support for vulnerable groups who perceive more discrimination, such as migrants from certain regions or under economic stress.

Sexual consent and relational rights: a call for relational repair

Sexual consent and relational rights: a call for relational repair

COVID-19 vaccines, sexual reproductive health and rights: Negotiating sensitive terrain in Zimbabwe

The COVID-19 period caused a lot of suffering globally, as millions lost their lives while others went through the pain of being infected. The introduction of vaccines to minimise chances of infection and death was a welcome development. However, it was also fraught with its own challenges in the area of sexual health and rights of both women and men. Scholarship on gender and religion noted the way women failed to access contraception in a period in which sexual activity had increased as most couples were together for long periods of time. The introduction of vaccines was accompanied by a lot of misinformation. Lack of clarity on the effect of the vaccines on pregnant and lactating mothers caused a lot of anxiety. This was exacerbated by the information that was being circulated on social media platforms that the vaccines would interfere with individuals’ reproductive capacity. Yet African religio-cultural beliefs and practices place so much importance on both women and men’s ability to have children. In fact, one’s respectability in African indigenous societies is greatly linked to their ability to have children. This article seeks to examine the fears of some Zimbabweans to accept COVID-19 vaccines, establishing how these fears were tied to issues of sexual reproductive health and rights. The article focuses on showing how the terrain of sexual health and rights is a sensitive one which called for caution in a COVID-19 context in Zimbabwe. Data for the article were gathered through informal interviews and social media platforms.Contribution: The article makes a significant contribution to the way COVID-19 interfaced with issues to do with SRHR in Zimbabwe.

Sexual Violence and Personality Rights in Virtual Spaces

Recently, unwanted sexual contact between avatars in virtual spaces has emerged as a serious societal issue. The urgency to regulate such behavior is underscored by the fact that a significant portion of virtual space users are minors, and the emotional harm resulting from avatar-initiated sexual contact is deemed equally severe as tangible harm. However, existing laws lack the basis to penalize these actions. To address the issue of penalizing unwanted sexual contact between avatars, the question of whether sexual violence between avatars can be equated to violence against humans must be addressed. Previous discussions aimed to resolve this through concepts like cyber personality rights or sexual personality rights. However, these discussions tended to separate completely virtual spaces from the real world, attributing independent personality rights to avatars or, conversely, considering them unique to humans in the physical realm. Such attitudes present challenges in categorizing the type of infringement against avatars. This paper argues for recognizing personality rights in virtual spaces based on the spatiality of virtual environments and the fluidity of personality rights. Furthermore, it advocates recognizing the hybrid nature of personality rights within the virtual space through the actor-network theory. The objective is to establish a theoretical foundation that secures the punitive nature of unwanted sexual contact between avatars in virtual spaces and provides a basis for delineating the various types of such behavior.

Exploring challenges and improvement strategies of adolescent-friendly health services in the northwest region of Namibia: A qualitative descriptive study.

Despite global agreements on adolescents' sexual and reproductive health and rights, access to and the utilisation of these services by the adolescents remain underutilised in low and middle-income countries. The aim of the study was to explore challenges and improvement strategies of adolescent-friendly health services in the northwest of Namibia. This study employed a qualitative approach utilising an explorative strategy. Semi-structured interviews were used to collect the data. Fifteen nurses were selected using a convenience sampling technique. The interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. The data analysis led to the emergence of the following three themes: Challenges affecting the delivery of Adolescent Friendly Health Services, Challenges affecting participation of adolescent to AFHS and strategies to improve the provision of adolescent-friendly health services. Findings from this study revealed several barriers reportedly faced by adolescents in accessing AFHS as including a lack of comprehensive sexual reproductive health (SRH) services in many healthcare facilities, a lack of trained staff, unfavourable environments for adolescents, a lack of information about the services provided, and recruitment of providers who are not friendly to young people and adolescents. This study findings may lead to an improvement in the provision of such services in healthcare settings. The study can lead to an improvement in the provision of adolescent-friendly services in health care settings. It can help the Ministry of Health and Social Services, along with its agencies, to formulate strategies that can be used to mitigate the challenges d in the provision of adolescent-friendly services.

Salud Menstrual: un análisis interseccional de los discursos producidos durante la pandemia de covid-19 en Brasil

Given the complex context of period poverty, people who menstruate throughout Brazil's territory find themselves without the minimum conditions of access and care for menstrual health. Since the field of sexual rights and reproductive rights is surrounded by tensions in the political scenario, we ask ourselves about the discourses that are produced in Brazil on menstrual health, how this reverberates in public policies and impacts the experiences of people who menstruate in the country during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic. The methodological path begins with the search for official documents published by the Diário Oficial da União in Brazil (DOU) on the subject of menstrual health, with a date range between 02/26/2020 and 06/15/2021; systematization in tables of excluded and included documents; search for publications on the Scielo portal, based on the selected descriptors; survey of mobilizations around the theme based on news from online newspapers, in the defined period. As a result, we found that despite national and international considerations dealing with the importance of combating period poverty, the Brazilian government affirms a position of neglect in relation to menstrual health, following an agenda of violation of sexual and reproductive rights that becomes more evident in the pandemic period in the country. On the other hand, we analyzed the productions of feminist theorists about menstruation, in addition to the social mobilizations that were consolidated in the struggle to guarantee the right to menstrual health in this period. This concludes the importance of an intersectional analysis in the construction of public policies in a country that is historically structured in coloniality, reproducing gender, race, class and territory inequalities to non-normative bodies. The plurality of voices of people who face menstrual experiences is essential in the fight against period poverty, as well as the role of the opposition in the political scenario for the realization of rights.