UN, 15 November (IPS) – Having children or not is one of the most life-changing decisions a person can make.
But as UNFPA Status of world population in 2022 The report shows that people around the world – especially women and members of disadvantaged groups – are often denied any option in this regard, with partners, loved ones, suppliers. Health care providers and even governments make or have a strong influence on these decisions.
“Men have greater decision-making power. Women may have to act undercover to receive contraceptive services,” a man in India told the report authors.
“Men have the final say. Service providers often have to consult their husbands,” said one woman in Sudan.
Although women’s reproductive decisions have been interfered with for centuries, it’s only in the past decade that researchers have begun to recognize and explore the concept. They call it reproductive violence.
What does reproductive violence look like?
Reproductive violence includes any form of abuse, coercion, discrimination, exploitation or violence that compromises a person’s reproductive autonomy.
This form of gender-based violence can be perpetrated by individuals such as partners, loved ones and health care providers, or by entire communities, as social norms influence to society’s ideas about who should or shouldn’t be a parent. Meanwhile, governments often use this form of violence through laws and institutions, by blocking access to contraceptives or even conducting campaigns of forced sterilization, for example.
At the interpersonal level, reproductive violence can be like a partner concealing, destroying, or even forcibly removing a partner’s contraceptive, or involves “stealth” behavior – the act of removing a condom during sex without consent.
For others, reproductive violence occurs after the news of pregnancy, with some women forced into motherhood against their will and others, must stop.
Jasbeer Kaur, 58, from Rajasthan, India, took action. told UNFPA in 2020 that her husband’s family tried to coerce her after learning Jasbeer was pregnant with triplets – all girls.
“Three generations of my husband’s family did not have a daughter. They told me we wouldn’t allow three girls to be born in the house at the same time. They gave me an ultimatum: Get an abortion or walk away,” Ms. Kaur said.
In demanding this of her, Ms. Kaur’s in-laws perpetuated harmful social and gender norms, valuing the life of a son above that of a daughter. Members of Ms Kaur’s community have reinforced this discriminatory view, calling Ms Kaur a “poor woman” for not having a son.
“Here, people still think… as a mother, you don’t fulfill your responsibilities until you have a son,” one of Ms. Kaur’s neighbors told UNFPA.
But Ms. Kaur has stood firm against these standards and practices. She chose to leave her husband and his family to keep her pregnancy. Today, her three children, Mandeep, Sandeep and Pardeep, are all in their 20s, building careers in the arts, business and healthcare sectors.
“Today, people know us as Jasbeer Kaur’s daughter. We want to do something in our lives,” said Sandeep.
See the problem to solve it
Although reproductive violence often involves sexual partners and family members, as in Ms. Kaur’s case, they are not the only perpetrators. Governments and organizations also commit acts of reproductive violence through coercive laws and policies, some of which aim to control fertility at the national level.
With the global population now exceeding 8 billion, the population policies of countries have come into the spotlight. And evidence is already starting to emerge, especially about countries looking to increase fertility through questionable measures, including limiting the possibility of abortion and cutting sex education in schools. learn.
UNFPA has warned that these population-adjusting efforts often have little impact on fertility in the short term and, in the long run, risk causing major problems.
Dr Natalia Kanem, UNFPA Executive Director, said on November 14 in an article: “Focusing on numbers alone treats people as commodities, depriving them of their rights and humanity.” op-ed for TIME. “Too often we have seen leaders set targets for population size or birthrate, and as a result, egregious human rights violations.”
“Let’s be clear: When we talk about the ‘problem’ with the ‘ideal’ birth rate or population size, we’re really talking about controlling people’s bodies. We are talking about asserting power over their fertility, whether by influence or by force, from policies in which families are paid to have more children, to serious violations of the law. as important as forced sterilization, which often occurs among ethnic minorities, indigenous peoples and people with disabilities.”
Today, many women are unable to control their reproductive lives. UNFPA reports that Across 64 countries, more than 8% of women do not have the right to decide on contraceptive methods and nearly a quarter of women do not have the right to say no to sex.
Specifically related to reproductive violence, UNFPA is currently working on a technical document and developing a measurement tool to help health care practitioners, researchers, organizations and governments. government determines where, when, and how these violations occurred. This is an important step towards helping societies address this issue and protect everyone’s rights and choices.
“A resilient world of 8 billion people, a world that values individual rights and choices, offers endless possibilities – possibilities for people, society, and our common planet. grow and prosper,” Dr. Kanem said.
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© Inter Press Service (2022) — All rights reservedOrigin: Inter Press Service
