COVID-19 may have impacted all of us, but we are not all impacted equally. It has disproportionately affected women’s health and overall well-being, particularly for those who are living in contexts where public healthcare systems are dismal and vaccines remain inaccessible
The pandemic has exposed and worsened long-standing social and gender inequalities that are manifested in many forms and are operating at different intersecting levels and infringes upon women’s rights, among them, women’s rights to life, health, bodily autonomy, equality and non-discrimination, and freedom from violence.
May 28 is the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, which for over 30 years, women’s* rights advocates and allies in the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) movement worldwide have commemorated in diverse ways. Year after year, women, girls, advocates and allies have continued to take action and stand up for sexual and reproductive rights for what they are: an indivisible and inalienable part of our human rights. May 28th, International Day of Action for Women’s Health is being coordinated by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR).
Now, at a time when women’s human rights and particularly sexual and reproductive rights continue to be systematically violated worldwide, mobilization both within and beyond our communities remains essential, to resist any rollback on our rights and advance sexual and reproductive justice for all. As the global geopolitical context threatens to become increasingly regressive, it is more important than ever to denounce any attempts at curtailing women’s rights, including human rights to decide freely upon all aspects of bodies, sexualities, and lives, free from coercion, discrimination and violence.