Paris, 01/15/20
On Wednesday, 15 January, UN Women announced the action coalition themes for the Generation Equality Forum, the major event of the year on gender equality at international level. There will be a « Bodily autonomy and SRHR » coalition, as Equipop and its partners had requested in recent weeks.
For several decades, the main struggles of feminist movements have been the promotion of bodily autonomy and SRHR (sexual and reproductive health and rights). Even if significant progress have been made, great challenges remain worldwide. Moreover, achievements are regularly jeopardized, especially in international negotiations. SRHR are still a red line for conservative states. For example, it has not been possible to discuss them in a space such as the G7 in 2019.
In July 2020, France will host the Generation Equality Forum, co-organized by Mexico and UN Women, in the context of the 25th anniversary of the Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action. Among the six themes selected, the third coalition for action is entitled « Bodily autonomy and SRHR ». The existence of an action coalition on such a topic is a promising start for the Beijing+25 process.
At the end of 2019, Equipop, Le Planning Familial and Médecins du Monde had sent a letter to President Emmanuel Macron, co-signed by more than 90 organisations worldwide, asking him to personally ensure that France creates and leads a SRHR coalition for the Generation Equality Forum of July 2020. France was not the only decision-maker involved in selecting the themes for the six « action coalitions » that will shape this Generation Equality Forum and the commitments for the next five or ten years, but it obviously had an important voice.
The main challenge now is to define the content, leadership and composition of this SRHR coalition, in consultation with the various feminist movements and organizations. Equipop is committed to contribute in this direction, with enhanced vigilance regarding the participation of States and young feminist activists from French-speaking West Africa.
Contact : Nicolas Rainaud, advocacy manager, nicolas.rainaud@equipop.org, +336 73 72 25 37
