Women's health rights 'under threat'

A group of politicians has been recognised by the Australian Council for International Development for its work promoting the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls and combating gender-based violence.

But some members of the parliamentary group, which won the Sir Ron Wilson Human Rights Award, say women's rights remain under threat around the world and in Australia.

One MP has even gone as far as saying a war is being waged against women.

Murray Silby has the story.

Advocates for women's sexual and reproductive health rights say those rights include access to sex education, contraception, affordable abortion and the medical services required to maintain their health.

They say women should have the ability to plan their pregnancies so they can then make better decisions about their future, including work and education, and have fewer unwanted pregnancies.

Federal Liberal MP Mal Washer is a member of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development that was rewarded for its focus on women's health rights.

He claims conservative lobby groups in the United States are waging what he calls a war on women in an attempt to wind those rights back.

"The US has got many fine qualities but this is not one of them and I can see now in this latest debate that certain, more what you'd call religious right extremism is coming into it which would take away the rights of women and I think that's an absolute tragedy and that's to be condemned and stomped out as much as possible."

Dr Washer says he's concerned such views are starting to gain traction in Australian politics.

"I think there is on both sides of politics slightly more conservative people moving in, as we call them, into the political arena and some of those people are not supporting the rights of women in a way that I would consider, as a medical doctor and you know a federal politician who's concerned about the rights of women, in a way that I'd expect them to."

Another member of the parliamentary group, Labor Senator Claire Moore, agrees that there are groups opposing women being provided with information and access to medical services related to their sexual and reproductive health.

Senator Moore says it's an ongoing issue and not limited to just religious groups.

"We've seen alliances at the UN level looking at various programs for women, we've seen within the political area lobby groups such as the Australian Christian Lobby, ACL, who have very strong views about these issues and put them into the political platform and I don't think this is a new thing at all. I think it has always been there but I think alliances can be extraordinarily powerful. Particularly when you link them with funding and we know there's a great deal of money available in some of these groups. They can have an impact on the development of policy and in elections and I think that is something we are all concerned about."

Chief of staff at the Australian Christian Lobby Lyle Shelton denies his group has a disproportionate influence over politicians in Australia.

He says the group simply makes use of the instruments it has available to it such as making submissions to Senate inquiries.

"We're thankful we have a free system that enables that and you know I think it would be better for public debate if we could have these debates without being labelled extremists or religious right wing or whatever other slur that people like Doctor Washer and Senator Moore send our way instead of actually engaging the issue. We should stick to the issues not the slurs."

Mr Shelton says it's ironic that the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development should be presented with the Sir Ron Wilson Human Rights Award given its support for women having access to abortion.

He accuses the parliamentary group of enthusiastically pushing abortion above all other options to pregnant women.

"The parliamentary group on population development is one of the most vociferous champions of abortion in the parliament. They seem to see it as their duty to you know, make sure there's no you know discussion about other options and to make sure you know this thing remains almost sacred, but really it is ignoring the desire of many women to find themselves in a place where they would be supported in a pregnancy where they've been abandoned by the father of the child and perhaps by family and other support structures around them."

Mr Shelton says the Australian Christian Lobby supports women and girls being provided with access to sex education and contraception but strongly opposes women having an abortion unless it involves a lethal foetal abnormality.

"You've got to balance up the human rights of women and as I said before you know abortion is presented as the only choice all too often and we never as a society look to support a woman with an unsupported pregnancy and give her other options beyond abortion and then we have the parliamentary group on population and development arguing we should kill disabled babies because they cost too much to look after. So that's an extreme position on their part. Now if that means ... // It would be a misrepresentation though wouldn't it to suggest they think that should happen to all of them? // Well go and read the Senate Hansard from 2008 and you'll see very clearly what they said in their submission."

Senator Claire Moore, of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, answered that criticism in the Senate in 2008.

Senator Moore told the Senate she made a "clear apology" for any offence that the wording in the submission in question might have caused.

But she said the group had "absolute support" for the "dignity of all life" and in particular the dignity of the lives of people who have disabilities.

Senator Moore also told the Senate there was no intent for the submission to recommend any particular action or to make judgement about the motivation of women and families making a decision about a possible termination.

She said the group recognises the need for effective support and resources for families who choose to raise children with disabilities.

Senator Moore continues to argue the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development is campaigning for women to have access to all information and services so they can make whatever decision is best for their future.

"There is so much evidence that talks about the fact that if you have strong sexual and reproductive health and education there are fewer unwanted pregnancies, there are women who can make choices about their work and education, there are families who have the option to see what their futures are, what work they can do and what support they can give to their children. There's no argument about that in my opinion. It's just people have different values about what the role of women should be and also what support they should have for their reproductive rights."

Julie McKay is from the Australian committee of UN Women, a United Nations body that works for gender equality and the empowerment of women.

She says people's rights to have a view on the various issues relating to women's sexual and reproductive rights should not be interpreted as a right to force that stance onto others.

Ms McKay also says people assume women around the world are gaining more power over their lives, but argues that is not the case.

"It's not necessarily a rise in opposition. It's a rise, it's a resurgence in the organisation of the opposition. I think for many women in Australia they'd be quite shocked to hear that we're actually losing reproductive rights in a number of countries around the world at the moment. I think there's a sort of general assumption that things are getting better. So that's the first part of the issue. I think in terms of people having a right to an opinion I think it's really important to seperate what your opinion is about what you would do yourself from opinions that effect somebody else's life."

Ms McKay says UN Women, has found that one of the key areas for women's health is access to contraception, which is unavailable in many countries.

"Taking away a women's right to plan and space her pregnancies and family impacts on her life and her security and we know that for girls aged 15 to 19 pregnancy and child birth is the greatest cause of death. So we're talking about an issue that is absolutely critical to the empowerment of women worldwide. The second issue is around access to safe and affordable abortion and while even in Australia this issue is one that is incredibly contentious we know that as I said when women have access to options that suit their needs that's where we've started to make progress towards equality."

Federal Liberal MP Mal Washer, of the Parliamentary Group on Population and Development, says ensuring the sexual and reproductive health rights of women will not only benefit women.

He says it's been shown that when women have control over their own lives, it benefits the community as a whole.

"Until the world gives women equal rights they'll lose out on a golden opportunity for a wonderful economy and a beautiful society so we've just got to keep working on this."

(2012-11-15/sbs)