Health
Iruka Nwokedi, facilitator on understanding Sexual Reproductive Health Rights, SRHR, as human rights, has said human rights are inalienable, indivisible and interdependent.
“Human rights are the rights a person holds simply because he or she is a human being and such rights include civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights,” she said.
Nwokedi while speaking to newsmen in Awka said that sexual and reproductive rights were women’s rights as well as human rights.
According to her, reproductive rights are certain human rights recognised in national and international human rights documents.
“These rights enable us to choose freely the number of children, decide on spacing and timing, acceptable family planning methods and access to adequate healthcare services,’’ she added.
The facilitator noted some constraints of the SRHR to include preference for a son, stigmatisation, poverty, child/early marriage, the biblical injunction of increase and multiply and wives submit to your husbands.
Nwokedi explained available laws and policies guiding SRHR include Child rights law Anambra State, 2006, Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act (VAPP) 2015.
Others are Widowhood law Anambra State 2005, Gender and Equal Opportunities Bill Anambra State, National Health Policy 2010, 2017 and Health Policies of Anambra State.
She enjoined media practitioners to sensitise the public on their different platforms and create awareness on Reproduction Health Rights.
“Government, society and the Church should take a second look at the constraints of reproductive health rights and work toward reducing them. Government healthcare system must be improved upon, especially in the areas of reproductive health.
“Perception in this clime is reality so with regards to SRHR the media is very pivotal in creating the desired change,’’ Nwokedi said.
The human rights facilitator urged women to develop the will to change the status quo with regards to reproductive rights and become the change agents.
She, however, added that reproductive rights when enhanced would definitely reduce the maternal mortality rates in the society.
– Sept. 4, 2018 @ 17:15 GMT |
Tags: Nwokedi harps on sexual reproductive health rights as human rights
