[JURIST] The UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law [official website] called on [press release] the world’s governments to take quick, effective steps towards ensuring women are granted equal rights to health, including reproductive and sexual health. The report [report, PDF], presented Friday, refers to the “instrumentalization” of women in the healthcare system, in particular the “subjection of women’s natural biological functions to a politicized patriarchal agenda.” According to the report, women are viewed as vessels for children and their sexual functions are often looked down upon, as evidenced by the criminalization of termination of pregnancy and prostitution. Another harmful practice that the report addressed was the infringement upon the autonomy of women in receiving health services, especially in regards to sexual and reproductive health services, where moral or religious bias may lead to discrimination. The report also outlined discriminatory practices within the field of health, including genital mutilation, lack of access to medical information, higher levels of poverty, and overall access to healthcare institutions. The report called for remedial efforts by countries to provide “non-discriminatory enjoyment of the right to health…[that is] autonomous, effective and affordable.”

Female access to equitable healthcare services has been a contentious and evolving battle throughout the world. Earlier this month independent experts for the UN found [JURIST report] a woman faced “inhumane treatment” while seeking an abortion procedure in Northern Ireland. In the press release, the experts called upon countries to more effectively balance the rights of the fetus with the rights of the woman, viewing her as more than just a mechanism for child-bearing. In February, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon urged [JURIST report] all countries to eliminate the practice of female genital mutilation by 2030.