Lawsuit Filed against Most Extreme Ultrasound Law in Country
October 10, 2008-– Today, the Center for Reproductive Rights filed a challenge against Oklahoma legislation which prohibits a woman from getting an abortion unless she first has an ultrasound and listens to her doctor describe in detail the ultrasound image. At the same time, the law prevents a woman from suing her doctor if he or she intentionally withholds other information about the fetus, such as a severe developmental defect.
Click here to read the press release > >
A Human Rights Response to Maternal Mortality
September 22, 2008-– The Center is stepping up its call for a human rights response to maternal mortality as world leaders gather this week in New York to review the Millennium Development Goals. Reducing maternal mortality rates by three-quarters before 2015 is one of the goals that will be appraised. Tragically, this is an area where states have fallen behind the most.
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Nepal Upholds a Woman's Right to Abortion
September 8, 2008-- In a major victory for Nepali women, Nepal's Supreme Court recently dismissed a case that had challenged the country's abortion law. The Nepal-based Forum for Women, Law, and Development (FWLD) successfully thwarted this claim, with technical support from the Center.
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Click here to read the Center's memo to the Supreme Court of Nepal > >
Mexico Supreme Court Upholds Mexico City Abortion Law
August 27, 2008-- Today in an 8 to 3 groundbreaking vote, Mexico's Supreme Court upheld Mexico City's law making abortion legal in the first trimester, ruling that the Mexico City assembly had the power to legislate over the issue of abortion and recognizing women's autonomy over reproductive decisions.
Click here to learn more and read the Center's statement on the vote > >
Proposed HHS Regulations Create Confusion Around Women's Access to Reproductive Healthcare Information
August 21, 2008-- Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed new regulations which would limit women's ability to get complete reproductive healthcare services. While the rules are not identical to the draft proposal being circulated by HHS last month, the agency continues to create confusion around the definition of abortion and interprets existing conscientious objection laws so broadly that it could result in women not receiving information they need to make informed healthcare decisions.
Click here to read the Center's response to the proposed regulations > >
Click here to read the proposed regulations > >
Click here to listen to Nancy Northup on CNN > >
Click here to join in the fight yourself > >
Case Challenging Manila Contraception Ban Dismissed
August 15, 2008--The Philippines Court of Appeals recently dismissed a constitutional challenge to an eight-year-old ban on the distribution and use of modern contraceptives in the city of Manila. The ideologically driven policy has wreaked havoc with the lives of poor women and their families. The court's refusal to consider the legal claims made in this case raises serious doubts about the independence of the judiciary and the ability of women to obtain justice in the Philippines.
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Click here to read the Center’s press release about the case > >
Click here to read Imposing Misery: The Impact of Manila's Contraception Ban on Women and Families> >
UN to India: Reducing Maternal Mortality Must Be "Highest Priority"
August 12, 2008-- Over 100,000 women die in India every year from pregnancy-related complications, more than anywhere else in the world. The United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights is now taking India to task over these shocking statistics and is urging the country to tackle the root causes of maternal mortality: lack of access to health care, inadequate sex education, and endemic discrimination against women. A shadow letter from the Center brought these issues to the Committee's attention.
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Click here to read the Center's shadow letter to the CESCR on India > >
Click here to read the CESCR's Concluding Observations to India > >
Annual Report 2007
August 5, 2008-- Last year, the Center continued to work worldwide to secure recognition of reproductive rights as human rights. We won cases that affirmed the right to safe abortion. We challenged laws and policies that blocked women's access to contraception and life-saving emergency obstetric care. We forged powerful new partnerships. And we crafted a long-term strategy that marries litigation with human rights advocacy and education. All of these accomplishments are steps toward a universal guarantee of women's basic rights to health, autonomy, and dignity.
Learn more about the Center's accomplishments by downloading our 2007 annual report > >
The Center Spotlights Reproductive Rights at AIDS Gathering
August 1, 2008-- Human rights, including reproductive rights, must be at the center of the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Center will be taking that message to the XVII International AIDS Conference in Mexico City on August 1 – 8. The conference is the world's largest HIV/AIDS forum and will address the trends and challenges surrounding HIV/AIDS. The Center is organizing a number of events at the conference to raise awareness of the intersections between HIV/AIDS and reproductive rights.
Click here to learn more about the Center's work at the International AIDS Conference > >
Click here to learn more about the XVII International AIDS Conference > >
No Relief for HIV-Positive Women in Kenya
July 31, 2008-- Women living with HIV in Kenya who seek medical care suffer multiple human rights violations and encounter daunting barriers to quality healthcare. At Risk: Rights Violations of HIV-Positive Women in Kenyan Health Facilities, a new report from the Federation of Women Lawyers—Kenya and the Center for Reproductive Rights, vividly illustrates the failure of the Kenyan government to care for women living with HIV.
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Click here to read the report online > >
Calling on All Policy-makers to Take Bold Action in Support of Women's Reproductive Health
July 23, 2008-- The Center for Reproductive Rights is calling on all policy-makers to demonstrate their commitment to women's health and self-determination. Our Center's Federal Policy Agenda on reproductive rights sets forth concrete and attainable goals to that end, including supporting comprehensive sex education; increasing access to high quality healthcare for all pregnant women; and protecting women's right to get an abortion.
Click here to learn more and read the Center's Federal Policy Agenda > >
