“TOO often denied and too long neglected, sexual rights deserve our attention and priority. It is time to respect them. It is time to demand them.”
Making this assertive statement, President of the International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) Jacqueline Sharpe said that for persons to gain the highest standard of health, they must be empowered to exercise choice in their sexual and reproductive lives, and must feel confident and safe in expressing their own sexual identity.
“Today, discrimination, stigma, fear and violence pose real threats to many people. These threats and the actions they trigger, ranging from disheartening to life threatening in nature prevent many people from attaining basic sexual rights and health,” she stressed, in ‘Sexual Rights: An IPPF Declaration’, which was issued to the family planning associations of regional countries.
Sharpe stressed that IPPF was committed to fulfilling its goals through an approach that embodies the principles of universality, inter-relatedness, interdependence and indivisibility of all human rights. “We all do all we can to ensure that sexual rights – human rights – are respected through our own service provision and advocacy and also in the wider public sphere.”
She pointed out that the development of the declaration took over two years and spanned the globe, including work of experts in sexual and reproductive health, human rights, law and public health.
She noted that sexual rights were a component of human rights and an evolving set of entitlements related to sexuality contributing to the freedom, equality and dignity of all people which cannot be ignored.
Sharpe argued that marginalised groups like the youth, trans-genders, men having sex with men, gays, lesbians and bi-sexual and child-mothers in particular need compassion.
“We must persevere, we must be uncompromising and passionate in our efforts to decrease stigma and improve access to services and to increase recognition of sexuality as a positive aspect of human life,” she stated.
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