RHEACH Summer School 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AS A SOCIOLOGICAL RESEARCH TOPIC TO THE SERVICE OF ACTIVISM Carles Sim贸 Carles.simo@uv.es
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN AS A SOCIAL ISSUE
WHY AND HOW
APPROACH
SRHR AS A SOCIAL ISSUE. The principal role of activism in the social recognition of sexual and reproductive rights of women The academic research on sexual and reproductive rights of women does not necessarily fulfill the needs of activism Sociological research can tribute a service to women activism An example of case study: sexual and reproductive health and rights of immigrant women in Valencian Region
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
PRESENTATION 1.
2.
What are sexual and reproductive rights? (what do you think?) 20’ The recognition of SHRR in the frame of human rights
2.
The fight of women (activism)
3.
What can social research do for it?
4.
Main approaches raising awareness and producing data.
5.
Case study of immigrant women in Valencian Region.
6.
Tricky questions (and discussion, 20’ + men report 5´)
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
What are sexual and reproductive health and rights? (I) SRHR : human rights that apply to sexuality and reproduction Within the third generation of human rights OF WOMEN, They are at the core of the debate between universalism vs cultural relativism They deal with: 1. sexual health, 2. sexual rights, 3. reproductive health and 4. reproductive rights
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
What is sexual health and rights? (II) Sexual Health : "Sexual health is a state of physical, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality. It requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence.“ (WHO website)
sexual rights include, and focus on, sexual pleasure and emotional sexual expression. One platform for this struggle is the WAS Declaration of Sexual Rights.
The Platform for Action from the 1995 Beijing Conference on Women established that human rights include the right of women freely and without coercion, violence or discrimination, to have control over and make decisions concerning their own sexuality, including their own sexual and reproductive health.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
What are sexual rights? (III) 14th World Congress of Sexology (Hong Kong, 1999), the WAS (World Association of Sexual Health) adopted the Universal Declaration of Sexual Rights, which includes 11 sexual rights: 1. The right to sexual freedom. 2. The right to sexual autonomy, sexual integrity, and safety of the sexual body. 3. The right to sexual privacy. 4. The right to sexual equity. 5. The right to sexual pleasure. 6. The right to emotional sexual expression. 7. The right to sexually associate freely. 8. The right to make free and responsible reproductive choices. 9. The right to sexual information based upon scientific inquiry. 10. The right to comprehensive sexuality education. 11. The right to sexual health care.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
What is reproductive health and rights? (& IV) Reproductive health, or sexual health/hygiene: people are able to have a responsible, satisfying and safer sex life and that they have the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. Men and women ought to be informed of and to have access to safe, effective, affordable and acceptable methods of birth control; also access to appropriate health care services of sexual, reproductive medicine and implementation of health education programs to stress the importance of women to go safely through pregnancy and childbirth.
Reproductive rights: Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence. (World Health Organisation)
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
1. Are SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS OF WOMEN a fundamental social issue? 2. How important are they in social transformation agenda? 3. Which are the male and female positions and roles? 4. Is it possible to remain indifferent and distant?
5. Why should it be a topic for sociological research?
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
2. The (difficult) recognition of SHRR in the frame of human rights Not all countries have recognized them Sexual power structure is among the obstacles Culturaly shaped, women roles still make it difficult their empowerment
Policies and laws as barriers: Since 1994, human rights have been incorporated in diverse ways into the approaches used to address sexual and reproductive health, as well as other health issues including the provision of essential medicines, HIV/AIDS and child health. The world health report 2008 (World Health Organization), recognizes that policies and laws act as barriers to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality of sexual and reproductive health services . This is a serious area of concern.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
3. The fight of women (activism) The importance of feminist theory The increasing force of feminists among the policy makers The locally(community) - based education in favour of women’s empowerment Women’s activism is a key in societies where important
legal reforms have been adopted
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
4. What can social research do for it? (I) sociological research may contribute to
production of data recognition of a map of needs, identification of social agents and target populations Adapt and improve research methods
The aims is to achieve social transformation.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
4. What can social research do for it? (II) Sociology can strengthen activism by producing statistical data about the respect / violation of sexual and reproductive rights of women must exercise an active role in the analysis of production / reproduction of explicit discourses (and unexpressed attitudes) denying these rights sociological research must suit the specific needs of the activism researcher must adopt a role of social actor in an equal and horizontal position with activists.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
Two main approaches: (I) raising awareness Ex. Designing education programs on SRHR targeted to different groups: In formal education (primary school and secondary schools) In working places In culture/Language courses for women/mothers Designing special programs to recognize and combat the violence against women
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
Two main approaches: (II) producing data Building a data bank: Statistics on the different areas of SRHR are not always available WHO, UN, INTERNATIONAL AMNESTY, RIGHTS INTERNATIONAL, European NGOs for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Population and Development, Human Rights Watch, Womenloby , (http://www.womenlobby.org/), International Planned Parenthood Federation, ILGA (International Lesbian and Gay Alliance)), WAS (World Association for Sexual Health)
Among others are making an international/national effort to gather information on statistics and on laws.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
Two main approaches: (III) producing data Building a data bank:
Recognition of violence against women differs enormously among countries, some contries have made an effort to codify it as a special form of violence Laws and norms in relation to abortion also vary (data are not always easy to gather)
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
Two main approaches: (IV) producing data GATHERING DISCURSIVE DATA: Ex. We need to know which are the sources of legitimation that are spreading among social groups in favour of the recognition of SRHR We need to know the resistances to this recognition We need to analyse how the discurses legitimating violence are produced (who produce them, agains who, etc.). We need to identify actors roles and agents of change
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
6. A case study (I): Sexual and reproductive health and rights of immigrant women in Valencian Community (Spain) Context: • Period of the most intensive immigrant flows into the region. • Difficult insertion of immigrant women into the Valencian health system • Scattered reports about barriers from the health system making it more difficult women use (a more complete overview was necessary) • Need to spread knowledge about the reproductive health services among the immigrant women • Higher taxes of abortions among immigrant women. INTERVIEWEES: 24 immigrant women in reproductive ages living in Valencian Country (Bulgarian 3, Bolivian 3, Colombian 5, Ecuadorian 4, British 2, Moroccans 3, Romanian 4). Fieldwork done in 2007.
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
6. A case study (II): STRUCTURE OF INTERVIEW 1. Reproductive project 2. Management and use of time
Pregnancies, deliveries, children, contraceptive methods, abortions, sexual relations/intercourses, males/partners and sexuality, partners compromise with reproductive project. Working time, time for the household and family, own/private time
3. Care, networks of care and support
Children care, care for relatives, friends, self care; relations with relatives, friends and neightboors; religion
4. Health
Current health (self reported); mental health; habits on self medication; others advices/opinions; knowledge and use of Valencian health system; former relation with health system in the country of origin; other type/alternative health scheme.
5. Labour career and perspectives
Contract (salary/wages); satisfaction about current work; expectations
6. Migration project
Aims; duration and charcteristics of migration; processes of adaptation and social integration
7. Personal welfare
Finances/ resources; household and living costs; social benefits
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
6. A case study (III): What we got was a map of Barriers to the aacces to the health system (sources and forms) Special needs of adaptation were reported A map of the respect or violation of sexual and reproductive rights Sources of legitimation of: gender violence, unequal relations A map of the level of sexual and reproductive knowledge / a map of the needs for it
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
6. A case study (IV): I think in all cultures is like that: Women must become pregnant. If you don’t become pregnant you are replaced by another woman. You are a factory of children (from Morocco) He wanted to have children. Having a child was the only reason to remain with me. The pressure was too hard. At the end I broke up (from Bolivia) I’d like to have children, but when I came to the conclusion that I could be happy without… That’s terrible (from Colombia) My husband did not have an opinion, because I did not tell him anything. I took the decision and was sterilized (from Bulgaria) In my country the abortion is free, but it costs lot of money. It has been legalized because there are women who think they are physicians and do abortions. Many women die (from Romania)
RHEACH Summer Schools 8th-18th July 2014. Thursday 10 of July Human rights approach
7. ROLE GAME and discussion:
Males seat in minority in each table: 1. Discuss about the difference between these human rights: 1. All human beings should have freedom of thought, conscience and religion 2. Women have the right to sexual freedom and also have the right to sexual autonomy, sexual integrity, and safety of the sexual body. (compare those rights and discuss about the extent to which both schould achievable)
2. They listen women and men (separately) ideas about: “I am an activist of women sexual and reproductive rights or I am not� (men must try to report it)