Alvaro Bermejo, Gen. Dir. IPPF. Photo by IPPF “Macho politics uses the emotional debate and media attention generated by sexual and reproductive rights issues to appear “strong”. It uses criminalisation to persuade voters that their real problems - of insecurity, inequality, poverty, powerlessness, anger - can be solved by attacking these groups rather than by a fundamental redistribution of political and economic power”, asserted IPPF General Director Alvaro Bermejo in an exchange with the members of the ‘Parliamentarians for the 2030 Agenda’, Belgium’s All-Party Parliamentary Group on sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Macho politics is at work in Brasil, the Philippines, Hungary, Poland, … and until most recently the United States. “Women’s bodies, women’s rights are attacked to perpetuate patriarchy and the associated privileges. But it is, of course, all justified in the name of morality, religion, “protecting” women, family, children, tradition and nationalism and/or public health”, Bermejo explained. What’s at play is a growing, better organized and more aggressive opposition. Anti-gender forces are criminalizing abortion, comprehensive sexuality education and same sex relationships. As a consequence, defenders of sexual and reproductive rights are increasingly subject to boycotts and attacks.
Uganda makes a good example, where IPPF member association Reproductive Health Uganda has experienced the influence of SRHR opponents in ministries. They’ve had the Minister refusing to sign off already approved SRH guidelines during their official launch, seen abortion guidelines shelved and efforts to develop a national framework on comprehensive sexuality education attacked. Ugandan MPs who took on the plight of SRHR in the previous legislative period lost their campaign support and did not get re-elected.
In response IPPF and its member associations seek to increase collaboration, to develop a coordinated response. Thereto it is important to work hand in hand with representatives of the LGBTI communities, like ILGA, who are under attack from the same forces. Important lessons are also drawn from recent successes in realizing reproductive freedom for women, like with the 2018 Irish referendum on the right to abortion and the most recent liberalization of abortion in Argentina.
Uganda makes a good example, where IPPF member association Reproductive Health Uganda has experienced the influence of SRHR opponents in ministries. They’ve had the Minister refusing to sign off already approved SRH guidelines during their official launch, seen abortion guidelines shelved and efforts to develop a national framework on comprehensive sexuality education attacked. Ugandan MPs who took on the plight of SRHR in the previous legislative period lost their campaign support and did not get re-elected.
In response IPPF and its member associations seek to increase collaboration, to develop a coordinated response. Thereto it is important to work hand in hand with representatives of the LGBTI communities, like ILGA, who are under attack from the same forces. Important lessons are also drawn from recent successes in realizing reproductive freedom for women, like with the 2018 Irish referendum on the right to abortion and the most recent liberalization of abortion in Argentina.
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