On November 12th, the Sexual Rights Initiative sent a letter to UN Women, welcoming its strong, human rights-based approach, to issues of sex work, sexual exploitation and trafficking in persons. The original letter and UN Women’s note can be accessed below.
 

“November 12, 2013

Ms. Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka
Executive Director
UN Women
405 East 42nd Street
New York, NY10017USA

Dear Ms. Mlambo-Ngcuka,

10 December 2013

Human rights have surged to the forefront of the debate about what will succeed the Millennium Development Goals in 2015. As human rights and social justice organizations worldwide, we feel compelled to lay out some of the baseline implications of embedding human rights into the core of the sustainable development agenda this time around.

Black Day for Human Rights in India

(Click ‘start prezi’ to scroll through highlights from 2013. Can be viewed in ‘full screen’ mode by clicking on the icon in the bottom right corner of the prezi.)

The SRI wishes you all the very best for a restful holiday season!

The Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) & International Planned Parenthood Federation’s (IPPF) Universal Periodic Review toolkit for sexual rights advocates is now available in Portuguese (thanks to UNFPA Mozambique).

The toolkit can be accessed here.

Pursuant to HRC resolution A/HRC/RES/24/23 on child, early and forced marriage, the Sexual Rights Initiative (SRI) & Women for Women’s Human Rights (New Ways), based on Turkey, submitted a report on preventing and eliminating child, early and forced marriage. The report explores the terminology of ‘child, early and forced’ marriage,’ the human rights dimensions of the issue, and strategies and recommendations to address and prevent early and forced marriage. Some of the recommendations include:

Building on the Hague Civil Society Call to Action on Human Rights and ICPD Beyond 2014, the SRI’s written statement for the upcoming 47th session of the Commission on Population and Development calls on governments to:

Ensure the implementation of all human rights obligations related to the Programme of Action of the ICPD;

Promote equality by tackling the root causes of structural inequalities;

The 25th session of the UN Human Rights Council will take place from March 3 – 28 2014. The first week of the four-week session will comprise of a ‘High-level segment’ during which high-level dignitaries will address the Council.

This briefing provides you with everything you need to know about sexual rights-related to:

• Resolutions,
• Discussions and reports,
• Presentation of UPR outcomes, and
• parallel events

Taking place during the 25th session.

The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights recently launched a new publication entitled “Reclaiming and Redefining Rights – ICPD+20: Status of sexual and reproductive rights in Middle East and North Africa.” The publication progress achieved and challenges remaining in the implementation of the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), since 1994 in the MENA region. The report is contextualized within recent and ongoing events including the Arab Spring, Governmental positions during recent global conferences, among other events.

In 2013, in response to the request from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) for submissions on ‘how a better understanding and appreciation of traditional values of dignity, freedom and responsibility could contribute to the promotion and protection of human rights,’ the SRI submitted a report focusing on the many practices and norms that discriminate against women and other groups of people.