Statement by the Health Caucus to the NGO Committee on the Status of Women 7th March 2000

Health is a fundamental human right. The basic human rights of young and adult women and girls to health include the right to life, to liberty and security of person; to equality before the law; to the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health, including sexual and reproductive health; to privacy and confidentiality; to self-determined sexuality and sexual pleasures; to choose if, when and with whom to have sexual relations or to marry; and to choose if and when to have children and under what conditions. They also include the right to full and reliable medical information; to informed consent, choice and decision-making in health care, reproduction and infant- feeding; to safe and equitable conditions of work and environment; and to the benefits of scientific progress. The Health Caucus therefore strongly reaffirms the ICPD Programme of Action, the Beijing Platform for Action and the report of the ICPD+5 review, and urges Governments to:

1. Ensure that all women throughout the life-cycle have access to the highest quality of comprehensive, affordable, appropriate and acceptable health services, particularly sexual and reproductive health services, free of any forms of discrimination including those based on age, class, caste, race, ethnicity, civil status, religion, culture, sexuality, ability and geographic location.

2. Increase resources for all programmes, services and research on health, aging and prevention of substance abuse for young and adult women and girls, particularly for those who are marginalised.

3. Ensure the right of all women to make fully informed decisions regarding their own health, including their sexual and reproductive health.

4. Integrate human rights, ethics, and gender and age perspectives into education and training for all health workers.

5. Expand and accelerate all efforts to make abortion safe, legal and accessible.

6. Fully provide prevention and treatment for sexually transmitted infections and HIV/AIDS.

7. Eliminate all forms of violence and all harmful practices and attitudes against young and adult women and girls, including sexual abuse, incest and child and forced marriage.

8. Develop policies and effective programmes that target young and adult men and boys to take responsibility for their own sexual behaviour.

9. Ensure equal and equitable access to essential drugs, medical supplies and equipment, including a full range of modem contraceptive technologies.

IO. Ensure that economic and health sector reforms guarantee equitable access to the highest quality of health, education and social services.

11. Develop a monitoring framework of indicators for young and adult women's and girls' health, particularly with respect to sexual and reproductive health and rights.

We urgently call on Governments to recognise that improving the health of young and adult women and girls is an investment for the future rather than an expenditure. Without health, women cannot fully exercise their other human rights, realise their own potentials and contribute to development.