Global context: Sustaining SRHR during a rise in anti-rights movements

We are currently witnessing a growing global anti-rights movement accompanied by a rise in authoritarianism around the world. The 2021 report on the Global State of Democracy by the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance highlights the growing threat of autocratic regimes, which are becoming more aggressive in their suppression of democratic ideals.1 These regimes are utilizing tactics that limit free speech and weaken the rule of law, resulting in a decline of democratic institutions. The support for extreme-right politicians and political parties is further exacerbating this situation.

At the heart of this movement is an escalating attack on gender equality and sexual and reproductive rights, which is being led by various actors and occurring in different forms across the globe. These efforts are evident in multilateral spaces such as the United Nations (UN), national political and legislative processes, online, in schools, and in communities. Despite appearing to be organic responses to isolated events, these attacks are connected by common strategies, tactics, and funding sources that transcend borders.2

Advocating for women’s and 2SLGBTQ+ rights is not separate from the work of strengthening democracies and at the heart of this work is the defense and promotion of sexual and reproductive rights. Concepts like gender and sexuality are deeply symbolic and culturally meaningful. As Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights points out, “they are often used to determine political inclusion and participation on one hand and exclusion and marginalization on the other.”3 As such, hostility towards SRHR connects many political agendas where women’s rights, abortion, and 2SLGBTQ+ communities are presented as an existential threat to the white-supremacist patriarchal nation state.

A cornerstone of a vibrant democracy is a strong and thriving civil society. This demands robust and sustainable feminist movements and strong protections and support of SRHR. Evidence shows that when women are empowered and able to participate fully in society, they are more likely to be involved in decision-making processes that affect their lives and those of their families and this leads to greater social stability.4 Indeed, advancements in SRHR are closely linked to women’s empowerment and increased gender equality. SRHR is, after all, a core pillar of realizing a wide range of rights including bodily autonomy, democratic participation, right to livelihood, and more. As the Swedish Association for Sexuality Education notes, “when people have access to contraceptives, comprehensive sexuality education, safe abortion, and the power to decide over their own lives and bodies, only then will their economic, political and social opportunities improve.”5

1 https://www.idea.int/gsod-2021/

2 https://www.actioncanadashr.org/resources/policy-briefs-submissions/2022-11-02-sexual-and-reproductive-rightsdemocracy-call-action

3 https://www.actioncanadashr.org/resources/policy-briefs-submissions/2022-11-02-sexual-and-reproductive-rightsdemocracy-call-action

4 https://www.rfsu.se/globalassets/pdf/srhr-and-development-for-the-eu_230511.pdf

5 https://www.rfsu.se/globalassets/pdf/srhr-and-development-for-the-eu_230511.pdf

Key priorities for SRHR advocates in Canada

While SRHR is a very large umbrella that encapsulates numerous feminist issues and intersects with countless others, the SRHR conversations of the FIG focused on (1) the need for more support for trans and queer communities; (2) the need for targeted abortion funding; and (3) the need for sex worker law reform from an anti-carceral approach.

The need for more support for trans and queer communities

Collaborative efforts amongst multiple FIG members to support 2SLGBTQ+ issues was highlighted, particularly on working towards ensuring there is explicit funding for this stream of work with queer communities. Historically, support for queer issues have often been creative uses of other forms of funding, such as gender-based violence funding or health care funding. There is a need for longer term funding to fight the rise of the far right, anti-gender ideology, and the increased hate 2SLGBTQ+ organizations, communities, and people are facing.

The need for targeted funding for abortion

In terms of abortion, access remains a challenge in many parts of Canada. The urban/rural divide in Canada is a huge geographic barrier, alongside the financial barriers many face when trying to access abortion services. FIG members also flagged that there continues to be privacy issues for youth accessing these services and that many young people cannot access abortion services unless they have parental or guardian consent. Abortion access also differs greatly depending on your ability, immigration status, and experience with domestic violence resulting in additional barriers to access. Many of these issues are influenced by circumstances outside systems like racism in health care and immigration policy.

The need for sex work law reform, especially from an anti-carceral approach

Another area of interest raised at the FIG convening was on sex work law reform, and how legal frameworks around sex work are often defined by people not directly involved resulting in laws imposed on sex workers, which exacerbate criminalization and risks. The need for an anti-carceral approach – whereby policing, prisons, and incarceration are seen as forms of violence and work is done to abolish punitive systems of justice – speaks to the wider need in the Canadian feminist movement to work across difference when the ultimate goal of this collective work is the same, including on issues of drug criminalization and anti-trafficking policies. There emerged a desire for policy coherence between anti-racist and anti-oppression stances and the crafting of policy solutions that promote the use of carceral systems that disproportionately impact racialized communities and those targeted because of their work or citizenship status, among other things.