Time has come for the global movement for sexual and reproductive rights of all women to stand together and make one clear demand – access to affordable, safe and legal abortion now! #IresistWepersist
While the current geopolitical context is often discouraging, the landscape for ensuring SRHR, particularly access to abortion, has never been easy – there have always been challenges. And while there have always been threats to fully realizing SRHR, there have also been and continue to be amazing and powerful forms of collective resistance, fuelled by brave individuals and local organisations opposing injustices in a myriad of ways.
Our aim this year is to thus highlight, promote, and support the many different ways activists are currently individually and collectively challenging the status quo and resisting in diverse contexts, thereby inspiring activists, allies and collectives to continue their important abortion advocacy.As such, we are excited and hopeful that together–with your help–this year’s September 28 will be one of the strongest days of action yet!
If you’re interested in more details and want ideas to plan a local event for your organization/community please write to sept28global@wgnrr.org
To find out more about the September 28 Campaign:
Website: www.september28.org
Twitter: @WGNRR
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WGNRR
September 28 has been a regional campaign for decriminalization of abortion in Latin America and Caribbean for nearly twenty years before being taken on by SRHR activists all over the world as a Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion in 2011. WGNRR undertakes September 28 annual campaigning activities in collaboration with its members, partners, and allies around the world, and as a member of the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion.
The United Nations is committed to strengthening tolerance by fostering mutual understanding among cultures and peoples. This imperative lies at the core of the United Nations Charter, as well as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and is more important than ever in this era of rising and violent extremism and widening conflicts that are characterized by a fundamental disregard for human life.
In 1996, the UN General Assembly (by resolution 51/95) invited UN Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November. This action followed up on the United Nations Year for Tolerance, 1995, proclaimed by the UN General Assembly in 1993 at the initiative of UNESCO, as outlined in the Declaration of Principles on Tolerance and Follow-up Plan of Action for the Year.
The United Nations has launched a new campaign to promote tolerance, respect and dignity across the world. TOGETHER is a global campaign that aims to reduce negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants, and to strengthen the social contract between host countries and communities, and refugees and migrants.
International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia: A Worldwide Celebration of Sexual and Gender Diversities
IDAHOT 2017 will Focus on Families. This focus includes both
- The role of families in the well-being of their LGBTIQ members
- The respect of the rights of LGBTIQ families (rainbow families)
We also of course want to use this focus issue to counter the reclaiming of family values by conservatives.
- We hope that this focus issue on families will
- Strengthen the visibility and voice of LGBTIQ parents
- Strengthen the visibility and voice of Rainbow families and lead to advances in recognition and rights
- Strengthen the visibility and voice of children of LGBTIQ parents, and possibly strengthen the structuring of their nascent movement
- Reclaim “family values” in a progressive understanding
- Facilitate alliances with progressive family organisations
Given the proximity in dates and values of the International Family Equality Day (IFED), early May, we have taken the very natural and exciting decision to combine IFED and IDAHOT in 2017.
The IDAHOT will of course remain open to any other initiatives, either around other aspects related to Families, or on other issues. As always, the focus issue constitutes a possible entry point for mobilisation, advocacy and alliance building, but only if this is relevant for each stakeholder.
Read more about the issue and how to take action
Join the conversation on Twitter: #IDAHOT #IFED2017
In recognition of the Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion, the panel will share different country experiences of advocating for safe and legal abortion, highlight the human rights obligations of States to provide access to safe and legal abortion, and discuss opportunities to utilize HRC mechanisms to effect policy and legal changes at the national level.
In 2010, the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS) called all their organisations to celebrate, on each September 4th, World Sexual Health Day in an effort to promote a greater social awareness on sexual health across the globe.
The first World Sexual Health Day was celebrated with the slogan “Let’s talk about it!” to start breaking fears and taboos surrounding sexuality.
The International Day of Non-Violence is marked on 2 October, the birthday of Mahatma Gandhi, leader of the Indian independence movement and pioneer of the philosophy and strategy of non-violence.
According to General Assembly resolutionA/RES/61/271 of 15 June 2007, which established the commemoration, the International Day is an occasion to “disseminate the message of non-violence, including through education and public awareness”. The resolution reaffirms “the universal relevance of the principle of non-violence” and the desire “to secure a culture of peace, tolerance, understanding and non-violence”.
Human Rights Day is observed every year on 10 December. It commemorates the day on which, in 1948, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. In 1950, the Assembly passed resolution 423 (V), inviting all States and interested organizations to observe 10 December of each year as Human Rights Day.
In 1996, the UN General Assembly (by resolution 51/95) invited UN Member States to observe the International Day for Tolerance on 16 November, with activities directed towards both educational establishments and the wider public. On the day of its fiftieth anniversary, UNESCO’s Member States adopted a Declaration of Principles on Tolerance.
Among other things, the Declaration affirms that tolerance is neither indulgence nor indifference. It is respect and appreciation of the rich variety of our world’s cultures, our forms of expression and ways of being human. Tolerance recognizes the universal human rights and fundamental freedoms of others. People are naturally diverse; only tolerance can ensure the survival of mixed communities in every region of the globe.
The Declaration qualifies tolerance not only as a moral duty, but also as a political and legal requirement for individuals, groups and States. It situates tolerance in relation to the international human rights instruments drawn up over the past fifty years and emphasizes that States should draft new legislation when necessary to ensure equality of treatment and of opportunity for all groups and individuals in society. Along with outright injustice and violence, discrimination and marginalization are common forms of intolerance.
On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution 66/170 to declare 11 October as the International Day of the Girl Child, to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
As we reflect on the achievements of the past 15 years and plan sustainable development goals for the next 15, it is an opportune time to consider the importance of social, economic, and political investment in the power of adolescent girls.
