The words “bodily autonomy” and “sexual and reproductive health and rights” have been removed from a multinational statement.
The statement, which was organised by the UK Government, originally centred on a fundamental rights for women and girls, and aimed eradicate archaic laws restricting women’s sexual and reproductive health.
However, this document has now been altered, bringing concerns over committing to the fundamental rights of women and girls has been altered to remove references to “sexual and reproductive health and rights” and “bodily autonomy”. This brings fresh doubts over a women’s right to an abortion.
Initially 22 countries signed the statement issued by the UK at the Intergovernmental Conference. However, since the change of wording 17 countries have departed the agreement. Only one country has been added to the change of wording, which is Malta where abortion is illegal.
At the London 2022 International Ministerial Conference on Freedom of Religion or Belief multiple speakers expressed their opinions to the changes to the statement, including the UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB), Professor Ahmed Shaheed, who expressed his dismay at the changes, stating:
“Claims that FoRB can be invoked to deny women the enjoyment of their sexual and reproductive health rights… must be rejected as representing intolerant and patriarchal attitudes.
Such claims especially ignore that freedom of religion or belief also guarantees to women the right to bodily autonomy and conscientious choice.”
He went onto say the FoRB supports and guarantees these rights to women.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘The headline of this summit was freedom of belief for everyone, everywhere and the common government statement on gender made it clear that this was a real aspiration. Now that is in doubt. If a woman is not free in the most intimate conscientious choice that could face her, then how is she free?
We will be raising these changes with the UK Government as a matter of urgency, asking for a full explanation and a reversal.”
