Mandatory Waiting Periods and Biased Abortion Counseling in Central and Eastern Europe

Congratulations to Leah Hoctor and Adriana Lamačková of the Centre for Reproductive Rights, whose article has just been published in the Ethical and Legal Issues section of the International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics.  The article addresses the recent retrogressive introduction of mandatory waiting periods and biased counseling and information requirements prior to abortion in Central and Eastern Europe.

Leah Hoctor and Adriana Lamačková,  Mandatory Waiting Periods and Biased Abortion Counseling in Central and Eastern Europe (2017). International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 139 (Nov. 2017): 253–258. 
PDF at Wiley Online Library.    Submitted text online at SSRN.

A number of Central and Eastern European countries have recently enacted retrogressive laws and policies introducing new pre-conditions that women must fulfill before they can obtain legal abortion services. Mandatory waiting periods and biased counseling and information requirements are particularly common examples of these new prerequisites. This article considers these requirements in light of international human rights standards and public health guidelines, and outlines the manner in which, by imposing regressive barriers on women’s access to legal abortion services, these new laws and policies undermine women’s health and well-being, fail to respect women’s human rights, and reinforce harmful gender stereotypes and abortion stigma.

Key words: Abortion; Abortion counseling; Central and Eastern Europe; Discrimination; Human rights; Informed consent; Waiting periods

The published article is online in PDF at Wiley Library.
Full text, as submitted, is online at SSRN.
Ethical and Legal Issues in Reproductive Health: 80 other concise articles.

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Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW Updates: Developments, Events, Resources

REPROHEALTHLAW-L
August 17, 2015

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DEVELOPMENTS:

UN Human Rights Council adopted 3 new resolutions in 29th session, July 2015 (available in 5 languages)

1. Accelerating Efforts to Eliminate all Forms of Violence Against Women: Eliminating Domestic Violence.  A/HRC/29/L.16/Rev.1
   Resolution online- choose language.    Abstract and analysis of voting.
2.  Strengthening efforts to prevent and eliminate child, early and forced marriage,   A/HRC/29/L.15  Resolution online.
3.  Elimination of discrimination against women, A/HRC/29/L.10  Resolution online.  A/HRC/29/L.7/Rev.1  Resolution online.

EVENTS:

“Bioethics, Medical Ethics and Health Law,” UNESCO Chair in Bioethics 11^th world conference, Royal Continental Hotel, Naples, Italy, October 20-22, 2015. Invitation and Call for Abstracts

El IV Congreso Latinoamericano Jurídico sobre Derechos Reproductivos Lima, Peru, November 2-4, 2015   LatinAmerican Legal Congress.

RESOURCES:

Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective:  Cases and Controversies, ed. Rebecca J. Cook, Joanna N. Erdman and Bernard M. Dickens, 16 chapters.  University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014, 482 pages. Purchase info: link to U Penn Press.
Table of Cases with links to decisions online here, with links to abortion-related Table of Contents and abstracts online here.  A Spanish edition was published in August, 2016.  Ahora disponible en español.

[abortion] ‘The regulatory cliff edge between contraception and abortion: the legal and moral significance of implantation’ by Sally Sheldon.  forthcoming in  Journal of Medical Ethics,  Preview article (slow link) .  Related blog.

[abortion]  “Denial of abortion in legal settings,” by Caitlin Gerdts, Teresa DePiñeres, Selma Hajri,  Jane Harries,  Altaf Hossain, Mahesh Puri, Divya Vohra,  Diana Greene Foster,   Open access article.  in Journal of Family Planning and Reproductive Health Care 41.3: Special issue on abortion.

[abortion] Who can provide abortion care? Considerations for law and policy makers. Ipas report, 2015

[abortion] Symposium: Special Issue: Intersections in Reproduction: Perspectives on Abortion and Assisted Reproductive Technologies, in  The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics 43.2 pp. 174 – 430, Summer 2015   Abstracts and Previews or PDFs of the following articles
—Introduction:   Intersections in Reproduction: Perspectives on Abortion and Assisted Reproductive Technologies, by  Judith Daar and Kimberly Mutcherson.

— The Bad Mother: Stigma, Abortion and Surrogacy,  by Paula Abrams.

—Legal Change and Stigma in Surrogacy and Abortion, by John A. Robertson.

—Selective Reduction: “A Soft Cover for Hard Choices” or Another Name for Abortion?   by Radhika Rao.

—When Is an Abortion Not an Abortion? by Kimberly Mutcherson.

—Selection against Disability: Abortion, ART, and Access, by Alicia Ouellette

—Normalizing Disability in Families (pages 224–227) by Mary Crossley

—Non-Invasive Testing, Non-Invasive Counseling (pages 228–240) by Rachel Rebouché.

—Reproductive Information and Reproductive Decision-Making (pages 241–244) by Maxwell J. Mehlman.

—Disclosure Two Ways (pages 245–254) by Erin B. Bernstein.

—Distinctions in Disclosure: Mandated Informed Consent in Abortion and ART (pages 255–258) by Judith Daar.

—Eggs and Abortion: “Women-Protective” Language Used by Opponents in Legislative Debates over Reproductive Health (pages 259–269) by Sujatha Jesudason and Tracy Weitz.

—False Framings: The Co-opting of Sex-Selection by the Anti-Abortion Movement (pages 270–274) by Seema Mohapatra.

—The Triple System for Regulating Women’s Reproduction (pages 275–288) by June Carbone and Naomi Cahn.

—The Invisible Classes in High Stakes Reproduction (pages 289–292) by Michele Goodwin.

—Conceiving of Products and the Products of Conception: Reflections on Commodification, Consumption, ART, and Abortion (pages 293–306) by Jody Lyneé Madeira.

—Complexifying Commodification, Consumption, ART, and Abortion (pages 307–311) by I. Glenn Cohen.

—The Doctor’s Dilemma: Paternalisms in the Medicolegal History of Assisted Reproduction and Abortion (pages 312–325) by Kara W. Swanson.

—How to Escape the Doctor’s Dilemma? De-Medicalize Reproductive Technologies (pages 326–329) by Paul A. Lombardo.

—Expectant Fathers, Abortion, and Embryos (pages 330–340) by Dara E. Purvis.

—Respecting Intent and Dispelling Stereotypes by Reducing Unintended Pregnancy (pages 341–344) by Dawn Johnsen.

—Membership Has Its Privileges? Life, Personhood, and Potential in Discussions about Reproductive Choice (pages 358–362) by Jonathan F. Will.

NEWS:

Northern Ireland:  Belfast woman will go on trial for helping her daughter to have a medical abortion.  newspaper article.

Paraguay: 11-year old rape victim, denied abortion, gives birth by caesarean section. News article.    Advocacy strategy during the pregnancy- interview with Amnesty International’s Tarah Demant     New York Times interview

Russian Ministry of Health signs a cooperation agreement with the Russian Orthodox Church regarding access to abortion ASTRA news report

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog. View or subscribe.

JOBS

Human Rights and Law Adviser,  UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland.  Apply by August 22, 2015.  Job details.

Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

__________________________

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here.
TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW Updates, Resources, Calls and Jobs

REPROHEALTHLAW-L  July 30, 2015

SUBSCRIBE TO REPROHEALTHLAW:  To receive these updates monthly by email, enter your address in the upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

DEVELOPMENTS

Nigeria:  Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act, signed 25 May 2015, provides “comprehensive” medical assistance to victims of violence, including rape or incest.  Expands definitions of violence, including rape.   Legislation online.    Synopsis by Women’s Aid Collective (WACOL), Nigeria.

South Africa, Constitutional Court:  Expulsion of pregnant females from school violates their rights.    Head of Department, Department of Education, Free State Province v. Welkom High School & another;  Head of Department, Department of Education, Free State Province v. Harmony High School & another (CCT 103/12) [2013] ZACC 25, 2013 (9) BCLR 989(CC); 2014 (2) SA 228 (CC) (10 July 2013)  Decision online.    Case summary by G. Kangaude and Y. Kakhobwe.

Spain [conscience] Constitutional Court allows pharmacists’ conscientious objection to providing emergency contraception, June 25, 2015. Decision online.  Synopsis by European Dignity Watch

Sweden [conscience]:  European Committee of Social Rights: The European Social Charter does not entitle health professionals in Sweden to invoke personal or moral objections as an excuse to deny women reproductive health services.  Press release from CRR and RFSU

See also:  Gender Justice Observatory at  Women’s Link Worldwide:  Award Winning Cases, 2015

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS:

UN-OHRCR Working Group on Good Practices in the elimination of discrimination against women with regard to the Right of Health and Safety -Submissions are requested from interested individuals or organizations by August 15, 2015.   Questionnaire in English, French or Spanish also available for input  Call for Submissions.

RESOURCES

Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective:  Cases and Controversies, ed. Rebecca J. Cook, Joanna N. Erdman and Bernard M. Dickens, 16 chapters.  University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014, 482 pages.  Introduction online through SSRN. Book reviewers should contact Gigi Lamm (glamm {a} pobox. upenn. edu). Includes 16 chapters, Table of Legislation, Table of Cases.   Now online:  Table of Cases (with links to decisions), Table of Contents, linked to some chapter abstracts.  English overview from U Penn Press. A Spanish ediion was published in August 2016:  Ahora disponible en español.  A Portuguese edition of Chapter 4 is online here: Também em português do Brasil – en linea.

[abortion – Africa] Human Rights and African Abortion Laws:  A Handbook for Judges,  by Prof. Charles Ngwena.  (Nairobi: Ipas Africa Alliance, 2014), 85-page publication.  Table of Contents.

[abortion and homosexuality]] Colonizing African Values: How the U.S. Christian Right is Transforming Sexual Politics in Africa, by Kapya John Kaoma (Political Research Associates, 2012)  68-page publication.

[abortion – Britain] Abortion Law Reform in Britain: 1964-2003: A Personal Account, by David Paintin (bpas, 2015).  116-page publication.

[abortion – Ireland]  “Procedural Abortion Rights: Ireland and the European Court of Human Rights,” by Joanna N. Erdman,  Reproductive Health Matters 2014; 22(44): 22-30.  Abstract and Article now online.

[abortion – World Health Organization] WHO’s new guideline, Health worker roles in providing safe abortion care and post-abortion contraception, aims to help break down one critical barrier which limits access to safe abortion care – the lack of trained providers.  81-page guideline.  Overview.

“Bioethics, Human Rights and Childbirth,” by Joanna Erdman,  Health and Human Rights Journal 17.1 (June 2015): E43-51.   Abstract online.   Article online. (part of Health and Human Rights Journal’s special issue on Bioethics and the Right to Health. Special issue 17.1 ).

[conscience]  “Conscientious Objection in Medicine: Private Ideological Convictions must not Supercede Public Service Obligations”
Udo Schuklenk, Editorial, Bioethics 29.5 (June 2015), pp. ii-iii.

[Right to Life] UN HRC discussion July 14, 2015 in Preparation for a General Comment on Article 6—Right to Life
Submissions:
—-Joint Statement presented by the Center for Reproductive Rights on behalf of many human rights organizations.  3-page joint statement
—-Catholics for Choice
—- Harvard Law School
—- International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion 
—-“Human rights begin at birth: international law and the claim of fetal rights.” by Rhonda Copelon, Christina Zampas, Elizabeth Brusie, and Jacqueline deVore, in Reproductive Health Matters 13.26 (2005): 120-29.  Abstract and Article.
—–Upholding pregnant women’s right to life, by Rebecca J. Cook and Bernard M. Dickens, International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 117 (2012) 90-94. Abstract and Article.
—–Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective: Cases and Controversies, ed. Rebecca J. Cook, Joanna N. Erdman and Bernard M. Dickens (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014).

“Sudan’s Revised Penal Code: A Mixed Picture for Women”  by  Women Living Under Muslim Laws.   [Legal conflation of rape with crime of zina (sex outside marriage) leads to criminal prosecution, stigma, lashings or death for rape victims, including pregnant women.]  5-page analysis.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog. View or subscribe.

NEWS:

[Canada: mifepristone, RU 486] :  Abortion pill finally receives approval from Health Canada.   Newspaper report.

Russian Ministry of Health signs a cooperation agreement with the Russian Orthodox Church regarding access to abortion.  ASTRA news report.

JOBS:

Human Rights and Law Adviser, Human Rights and Law Division, UNAIDS, Geneva, Switzerland (fixed term appointment). Apply by August 22, 2015.  Job Details.   Current vacancies.

Communication Intern, Women Help Women  Details online.

Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here.
_______________

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here.
TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

REPROHEALTHLAW – Decisions, Courses and Resources

REPROHEALTHLAW
February 26, 2015

DECISIONS:

CEDAW:  Ángela González Carreño v. Spain – decision of July 18, 2014, held the State responsible for gender violence and negligence that led to child’s murder.  Decision now available in 6 languages.  Case overview and details.

European Commission:  Historic decision Jan 8, 2015 from the European Commission grants 120 million women access to ellaOne (ulipristal acetate) emergency contraception over-the-counter without prescription throughout the European Union,  Europe press release.     Ministry of Health in Poland will allow sales over-the-counter, including to teens over 15 (age of consent).   Poland press release.  So far, only Hungary insists on prescriptions.  Hungary press release.

COURSES:
“Women and International Human Rights Law” Intensive course taught by Elizabeth Abi-Mershed and Rebecca Cook
“Mujeres y el Derecho Internacional de los Derechos Humanos” por Monica Roa y Julissa Mantilla
Academy on Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Washington College of Law, American University, Washington DC, USA,  program runs May 26 to June 12, 2015, brochure online.
This Advanced Progam includes 16 other English or Spanish intensive courses taught by more than 40 prominent human rights scholars and practitioners.  Apply by May 1, 2015 using this link.

RESOURCES

[abortion – new book] Good Catholics: The Battle over Abortion in the Catholic Church, by Patricia Miller, University of California Press, 2014, 344 pp.  Description and Table of Contents.  3 reviews in Conscience Magazine.

Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective:  Cases and Controversies, ed. Rebecca J. Cook, Joanna N. Erdman and Bernard M. Dickens, 16 chapters.  University of Pennsylvania Press, 2014, 482 pages. Introduction by the editors: online through SSRN. Book reviewers should contact Gigi Lamm (glamm {a} pobox. upenn. edu) Includes 16 chapters, Table of Legislation, Table of Cases, also online here, with links to abortion-related decisions in English and/or other languages). Table of Contents online here. Purchase info: link to U Penn Press.

—Why I Edited This Book, Abortion Law in Transnational Perspective: Cases and Controversies  Blog post by Joanna Erdman.

[abortion] Reproductive Health Matters  special issue “Law and the Courts” (Vol. 22, Issue 44),  Available online to institutional subscribers.
Issue Highlights:
—“Contesting the cruel treatment of abortion-seeking women,” by Ruth Fletcher
—“Abortion in Chile: the practice under a restrictive regime” by Lidia Casas and Lieta Vivaldi
—“The shifting politics in multilateral development and human rights negotiations and the absence of accountability,” by Stuart Halford and Sandeep Prasad
—“Can a restrictive law serve a protective purpose? The impact of age-restrictive laws on young people’s access to sexual and reproductive health services” by Elizabeth Yarrow, Kirsten Anderson, Kara Apland, and Katherine Watson
—” Gender inequality in Russia: the perspective of participatory gender budgeting” by Venera Zakirova

[Africa – new book]  Strengthening the protection of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the African region through human rights, ed. Charles Ngwena and Ebenezer Durojaye (Pretoria, South Africa:  Pretoria University Law Press (PULP), 2014) 12 chapters, 365 pages.   Entire book PDF   Overview and Table of Contents.

[Africa: Nigeria/Global]  Comparative Health Law and Policy:   Critical Perspectives on Nigerian and Global Health Law,  ed. Irehobhude O. Iyioha and Remigius N. Nwabueze (UK:  Ashgate 2015), 335 pages.  summary and table of contents.

[Conscience]  “Making Decisions About Decision-Making: Conscience, Regulation and the Law,” José Miola, University of Leicester School of Law Research Paper No. 15-02. Online through SSRN.

“Litigating Reproductive Health Rights in the Inter-American System: What Does a Winning Case Look Like?” by Ciara O’Connell, (2015). Health and Human Rights Journal 16(2) (2014); RegNet Research Paper No. 2015/62. Article online through SSRN.

New Resources in Spanish:

[Human Rights to assisted reproduction] “El derecho humano a contar con asistencia médica para fundar una familia,” by Bernard Dickens,  in Bioética, reproducción y familia,  ed. Fernando Zegers H.  & Sofía P. Salas, (Santiago: Ediciones Universidad Diego Portales, 2014), 83-115.  Spanish overview of the book

[Conscientious Objection and Compromise] “Objeción de conciencia y compromiso en conciencia,” by Bernard Dickens in Bioética, reproducción y familia,  ed. Fernando Zegers H.  & Sofía P. Salas, (Santiago: Ediciones Universidad Diego Portales, 2014), 145-182.  Spanish overview of the book

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog. View or subscribe.

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here.
TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

Developments, resources, news, scholarships & opportunities

SUBSCRIBE TO REPROHEALTHLAW:  To receive these updates monthly by email, enter your address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

DECISIONS AND CASES

CEDAW decision:  S.V.P. v. Bulgaria, CEDAW, UN Doc. CEDAW/C/53/D/31/2011 held state accountable for inadequate legal protections and failure to exercise due diligence re girl (“V.P.P.”) subjected to sexual violence and molestation by adult neighbour.
CEDAW decision dated November 24, 2012, online. 
Case summary by Simone Cusack online.  

Inter-American Court of Human Rights – El Salvador Government being sued over treatment of Beatriz and Criminalization of Abortion.  Lawsuit filed November 29, 2013 by the Citizen Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion in El Salvador, the Feminist Collective for Local Development, CEJIL (Center for Justice and International Law), and Ipas Central America.
English article online.   Spanish article online.

United States – Catholic hospitals:  American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) is suing US Catholic bishops for hospital directives below standard of care for pregnant woman.  Press release online.

RESOURCES

[abortion]  “Reductions in abortion-related mortality following policy reform: evidence from Romania, South Africa and Bangladesh,” by Janie Benson, Kathryn Andersen and Ghazaleh Samandari  Reproductive Health 8.39 (2011). Abstract and Article online here.

[abortion, health, human rights.] New book:  Health and Human Rights by  Thérèse Murphy, (Oxford: Hart Publishing 2013)  includes chapter on reproductive rights:  “The Dignity of Choice” pp. 159-187.  Book details online.

[abortion – Ireland] Ruth Fletcher’s submission to the Oireachtas Abortion Hearings (May 21, 2013)
available in Human Rights in Ireland blog May 22, 2013
8 minute radio spot – MP3 file May 21, 2013
Other abortion posts on Human Rights in Ireland blog.

[abortion – Ireland – women forced to travel]  “Peripheral governance: administering transnational healthcare flows,” by Ruth Fletcher, in International Journal of Law in Context 9 (2013):160-191,  doi:10.1017/S1744552313000074  Abstract online.

[abortion- mifepristone (RU-486) not approved in Canada] “Medical abortion in Canada:  Behind the Times,” by Sheila Dunn and Rebecca Cook.   Canadian Medical Association Journal, Nov. 25, 2013
Early view extract online.
Globe and Mail newspaper article.    Toronto Star newspaper article.

[conscientious objection]   “Let Conscience Be Their Guide? Conscientious Refusals in Health Care” Bioethics special issue,
Table of Contents with full text access for institutional subscribers.

—Editorial by volume editors Carolyn McLeod and Jocelyn Downie (pages ii–iv)

—“Am I My Profession’s Keeper?  by Avery Kolers, (pp. 1-7).

—“Conscientious Refusal and Health Professionals: Does Religion Make a Difference?” by Daniel Weinstock, pp. 8-15

—“Justification for Conscience Exemptions in Health Care” by Lori Kantymir and Carolyn McLeod (pp 16-23).

—“A Neglected Aspect of Conscience: Awareness of Implicit Attitudes” by Chloë Fitzgerald (pp 24–32).

—“Welcome to the Wild, Wild North: Conscientious Objection Policies Governing Canada’s Medical, Nursing, Pharmacy, and Dental Professions,” by Jacquelyn Shaw and Jocelyn Downie (pp 33–46).

[emergency contraception and conscientious objection, Italy]    “Whose Self-Determination? Barriers to Access to Emergency Hormonal Contraception in Italy” by  Emanuela Ceva and Sofia Moratti, Kennedy Institute of Ethics Journal 23.2 (2013): 139-67. Abstract and article online here.

[ethical and legal issues in reproductive health] Full texts of concise papers on Ethical and Legal Issues in Reproductive Health, published in the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology since 1999.  Wide range of topics,  including vitro fertilization, access to reproductive health information, applying human rights to maternal health, WHO guidance on safe abortion and harm reduction.   Full texts online on our website.

[health and human rights] Book:  Advancing the Human Right to Health, ed. Jose M. Zuniga, Stephen P. Marks, Lawrence O Gostin (Oxford University Press, 2013)  includes chapters on Brazil, China, Ghana, Haiti, Japan, Mexico, Peru, South Africa, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and the United States; also includes:
—“Advancing the right to health through litigation,” by Oscar A Cabrera and Ana S. Ayala
—“The right to health in post-apartheid era South Africa,” by Charles Ngwena, Rebecca Cook, and Ebenezer Durojaye    Book details online here.

[reproductive health, MDGs] “New development paradigms post-2015 for health, SRHR and gender equality, includes experiences from Brazil, India, Kenya, Lao PDR, Mexico, Nigeria,  South Africa and Uganda,  all in current issue of Reproductive Health Matters 21.42 (Nov. 2013).
Articles and Table of Contents are online here.

NEWS

[abortion – Australia, New South Wales (NSW)] – Decriminalise abortion: pro-choice in practice is not the same as legal protection by Prof. George Williams, Professor of Law at University of NSW.  “Zoe’s Law” (now a bill) would protect the unborn fetus.  Comment in the Sydney Morning Herald.

[abortion] “Israel’s Secular-Religious Abortion Compromise”  discusses legal context.  Online news article.

[emergency contraception – levonorgestrel] European authorities involved in the process decided to include the following statement in the levonorgestrel labeling: ‎”In clinical trials, contraceptive efficacy was reduced in women weighing 75 kg or more and levonorgestrel was not effective in women who weighed more than 80 kg.”

[Europe] Estrela report on SRHR sent back to European Parliament by FEMM.   Briefing paper for Dec 10, 2013 vote.

Russia:  Putin signs law banning abortion advertisement in Russia.  News article online.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog.  View or subscribe here.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

“CEDAW for Change” Institute: May 24 – 31, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. Weekend workshop on the UN human rights system (May 24-25), followed by a five-day intensive on CEDAW (May 27-31). Details are online here.

International Women’s Human Rights Education Institute 2014 August 4 – 15, 2014 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Course limited to 30 students– First come, first served. Application period starts January 1, 2014.  Details are online here.

Master of Health Science (MHSc) in Bioethics Program at the University of Toronto Joint Centre for Bioethics. Program is course-based, no thesis, 2 years, part-time in modular format for busy professionals. Apply by March 1, 2014.  Details are online here.

SCHOLARSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS

Leadership and Advocacy for Women in Africa (LAWA) Fellowship Program, at at Georgetown University in Washington DC.  Application deadline is January 14, 2014. Details are online here.

Visiting Fellows Program at Harvard Law School 2014-15, for human rights scholars or practitioners anywhere in the world. Apply by January 15, 2014.  Details are online here.

Gordon F. Henderson Post doctoral Fellowship  May 2014-May 2015, at The Human Rights Research and Education Centre, University of Ottawa.  Apply by Jan. 31, 2014.  Details are online here.  For more info. call  613-562-5800, ext 3462 or email psimons{at}uottawa.ca.

Columbia Law School – Center for Reproductive Rights Fellowship 2014-2016,  for recent law school graduates interested in careers in teaching law – Deadline has been extended to February 28, 2014.    Details are online here.

JOBS
Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

TO RECEIVE THESE UPDATES MONTHLY: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here.

Decisions, Calls, Resources, News & Jobs

REPROHEALTHLAW-L
November 22, 2013

DECISIONS

Australia – Tasmania: New abortion law allows terminations up to 16 weeks with the woman’s consent, and after that if two doctors agree on medical or psychological grounds.  News article

Brazil:  New law guarantees treatment, including emergency contraception, for rape victims in public hospitals.   English news.  Spanish news.

CEDAW General recommendation No. 30 on women in conflict prevention, conflict and post-conflict situations, Paragraph 52 mentions “access to sexual and reproductive health and rights information; . . . family
planning services, including emergency contraception;. . .  safe abortion services; post-abortion care . . .” Advance Unedited version, October 13, 2013  CEDAW Gen. Rec. 30.

European Court of Human Rights:   Costa and Pavan v. Italy, No. 54270/10, 28th August 2012 (re assisted reproduction), found violation of Article 8.   Ban preventing healthy carriers of cystic fibrosis from screening embryos for in vitro fertilisation, despite existence of right to therapeutic abortion in domestic law.  Court decided violation of Article 8, Right to respect for private and family life.   Decision online.  Brief Comment by Adriana DiStefano  in Strasbourg Observer. Academic article by Gregor Puppinck online at SSRN.

Ireland: Protection of Life During Pregnancy Act 2013 allows abortion only when woman’s life is at risk, including from suicide. signed into law July 30, 2013.   Newspaper article.    CRR Legal Analysis.  Articles in special issue of Irish Journal of Legal Studies:  O’Sullivan et al.   Schweppe et al.

Ireland:  Verdict of “medical misadventure” in 2010 maternal death in Irish hospital.  Bimbo Onanuga (32) died after being induced to deliver a stillborn baby.  News article.     Details of case from Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS), Ireland.

CALLS

Call for Applications, PhD Fellowship in Gender Equality Measurement, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada – Apply by Jan 15, 2014.  Fellowship details.  Facebook page.

Call for Abstracts and Conference Registration. “Eliminating Women and Girls’ Sexual and Reproductive Health Vulnerabilities in Africa”, 6th Africa Conference on Sexual Health and Rights,  Yaounde, Cameroon,  February 3-7, 2014,
Conference announcement. 
Call for Abstracts, due Dec 13, 2013  
Registration.  Early bird deadline: 15 December 2013.

Call for Submissions on  Child Early and Forced Marriage  to the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner on Human Rights (OHCHR) due Dec 15, 2013, for a UN Report.  Details online.

RESOURCES:

[abortion – Australia] “The Legal and Factual Status of Abortion in Australia,” by Ronli Sifris (2013) 38:2 Alternative Law Journal 108.  Article online.

[abortion] “Dignity and the Duty to Protect Unborn Life,” by Reva B. Siegel  in Understanding Human Dignity ed. Christopher McCrudden, 2014) Forthcoming; Yale Law School, Public Law Working Paper No. 294. Article online.

[abortion- Brazil] “Brazilians have different views on when abortion should be legal, but most do not agree with imprisoning women for abortion.” by Anibal Faundes, Graciana Alves Duarte, Maria Helena de Sousa, Rodrigo Pauperio Soares Camargo, and Rodolfo Carvalho Pacagnella, Reproductive Health Matters featured article online.

[abortion – European Union] Draft Report on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights. Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, Rapporteur: Edite Estrela, calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health and rights throughout Europe, including  safe and legal abortion services.   After controversial debate, report was sent back to the Committee.  15-page report.

[abortion – funding – Canada] “Analysis of Canada’s refusal to fund abortion services abroad.”  Policy brief prepared by Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD) 4 page analysis.

[abortion – Ireland)  “Article 40.3.3 and the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill 2013: The Impetus for, and Process of, Legislative Change,” by Catherine O’Sullivan, Jennifer Schweppe and Eimear A. Spain, (2013) Irish Journal of Legal Studies 1-17.  Introduction to special issue.

[abortion – Ireland] “When is a Foetus Not an Unborn? Fatal Foetal Abnormalities and Article 40.3.3” by Jennifer Schweppe and Eimear A. Spain, (2013) Irish Journal of Legal Studies 92-110. Article online.

[abortion – Ireland, Poland] Procedural Obligations Under the European Convention on Human Rights: An Instrument to Ensure a Broader Access to Abortion, by Gregor Puppinck, Zeszyty Prawnicze (Waszawa), SSN-1643-8183, 2013.  Abstract and article online.

[abortion – Muslim-majority countries] Liberal abortion rights in some Muslim-majority countries, by Gilla Shapiro. Literature review.

[abortion – Northern Ireland] draft “Guidance on the Limited Circumstances of Termination of Pregnancy” issued by Department of Health in Northern Ireland, Northern Ireland draft guidelines.   Rights-based critique  by Dr. Catherine O’Rourke, critique online.

[abortion – Poland] Women’s Reproductive Rights as a Political Price of Post-Communist Transformation in Poland”  by Joanna Diane Caytas, Amsterdam Law Forum 5.2 (Spring 2013): 64-89.  Article online

[abortion: South Africa] “Personhood: Proving the Significance of the Born-Alive Rule with Reference to Medical Knowledge of Foetal Viability”  by Camilla Pickles,  2013 24(1) Stellenbosch Law Review 146-164.  Abstract online.

Abortion stigma webinar summary, based on research by ANSIRH and Ipas.  Abortion stigma webinars.

[Abortion – Uganda] “The Stakes are High:  The Tragic Impact of Unsafe Abortion and Inadequate Access to Contraception in Uganda,” 2013 report from the Center for Reproductive Rights and Georgetown law school.  74-page report

[assisted reproduction] “The Case of Costa and Pavan v. Italy and the Convergence between Human Rights and Biotechnologies. Commentary on the ECHR Ruling in Costa and Pavan v. Italy, No. 54270/10, 28th August 2012,” Quaderni di Diritto Mercato Tecnologia – N°3, Anno III  (2013). Abstract and article online.

[CEDAW] The UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, A Commentary. ed. Marsha A. Freeman, Christine Chinkin, and Beate Rudolf, Oxford 2012   Now available in Paperback and eBook.  paperback details.

[conscience] “Freedom of Conscience in Health Care: Distinctions and Limits,” Sean Murphy and Stephen J. Genuis, Journal of Bioethical Inquiry 10.3 (Oct 2013) pp 347-354, online here.

[emergency contraception] “A review of global access to emergency contraception,” by Elizabeth Westley, Nathalie Kapp, Tia Palermo, Jennifer Bleck in International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics 123 (2013) 4–6.  Online by subscription.

Global Health and Human Rights Database (new)  a free and fully searchable online database of more than 1000 judgments, constitutions and international instruments on the intersection between health and human rights. GH&HR database online.

Health and Human Rights Syllabus Database (new) includes dozens of syllabi from universities around the world.  H&HR Syllabus Database.

[health and human rights] “Bringing Justice to Health: The Impact of Legal Empowerment Projects on Public Health” [profiles projects based in Indonesia, Kenya, Macedonia, Russia, South Africa & Uganda] 58-page report from Open Society.     Summary.

[maternal mortality – causes and factors]  “Why Did Mrs. X Die?: Retold”(2012)  updated remake of World Health Organization 1988 film by Dr. Mahmoud Fathalla, explores socio-economic factors that pave the road to maternal death.  In English and Arabic:
English 15 minute video.   Arabic 15 minute video.

[maternal mortality – CEDAW – Brazil – Alyne] “Evaluating States’ Failure to Eliminate Discrimination against Women using Substantive Equality” by Meghan Campbell, OP CEDAW blog article.

[Tanzania]  “Forced Out:  Mandatory Pregnancy Testing and the Expulsion of Pregnant Students in Tanzanian Schools,” Center for Reproductive Rights – 80-page report.

US-focused news, resources, and legal developments are available on Repro Rights Prof Blog.  View or subscribe:
http://lawprofessors.typepad.com/reproductive_rights/

NEWS

[abortion – Ireland] Three Irish women forced to travel for abortions to take cases to UN — Ireland’s ban on abortions for fatal foetal abnormalities amounts to ’cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment’  Article in Irish Times.  CRR Press Release re case of Amanda Mellet.   Article in Independent.

[Bolivia] UN Human Rights Committee recommendations call on Bolivia to cease prosecuting women for illegal abortions and to remove judicial barriers to legal abortion. Ipas Press Release.

[Chile] Controversial case [of “Belem” – pregnant 11-year-old abused by her stepfather] opens up discussion of abortion in Chile.  News article.
Spanish Petition to decriminalize abortion in Chile  Petition online.
Spanish video about decriminalizing abortion in Chile.  Online here.
Spanish Declaration by NGOs – NGO declaration

Dominican Republic: Women’s Link Worldwide and the Colectiva Mujer y Salud filed a case in the Dominican Republic on behalf of Rosa Hernández, whose daughter Esperancita  was denied therapeutic abortion, leukemia treatment and palliative care which might affect the fetus.
Details from Women’s Link Worldwide

China one-child law change small but crucial, say experts.  Only-child parents may have two children.  News article.

JOBS

Assistant/Associate Professor of African Studies/Women’s Studies,  Pennsylvania State University, Pennsylvania, U.S.    Apply by  November 30, 2013.  PSU job details.

Assistant Professor, Women, Gender And Sexuality Studies,  Oregon State University, Corvallis Oregon
Apply by  December 1, 2013  OSU job details.

Visiting Assistant Professor or Instructor, Gender, Sexuality and Feminist Studies, Middlebury College,  Middlebury, Vermont, USA, Apply by December 9, 2013  Middlebury job details.

Technical Support Consultant on women’s human rights – based on CEDAW recommendations.   UN Women Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Home-based, Closing date: November 30, 2013.  Expert roster

Links to other employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are online here

Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Program, reprohealth*law at utoronto.ca For Program publications and resources, see our website, online here. TO JOIN THIS BLOG: enter your email address in upper right corner of this webpage, then check your email to confirm the subscription.

Court Decisions, Calls, Resources & Jobs

REPROHEALTHLAW
February 29, 2012

COURT DECISIONS

Colombia:  Health promotion entities (EPS) found guilty of obstructing and denying legal abortion to 12-year-old girl.
Republic de Colombia, Corte Constitucional, Sala Octava de Revision, Sentencia T-841/2011, Accion de tutela intaurada por Balder, en representacion de su hija menor de edad AA, en contra de BB E.P.S.  Bogota, 3 November 2011.
Decision online (13 MB)    Press release in Spanish    English translation

Honduras – Supreme Court upholds absolute ban on emergency contraception.  CRR Press release.

India:  High Court of Madhya Pradesh (India) recognizes woman’s right to survive pregnancy and childbirth as a fundamental right.  – case of Sandesh Bansal v. Union of India (PIL) W.P. 9061/2008
Decision online.  (scroll down, click “Download,” wait (9 MB).
CALLS & EVENTS

Call for papers.  Frontiers: A Journal of Women’s Studies, special issue on reproductive technologies and reproductive justice. Submit by June 15, 2012     Journal info & submission guidelines.  More info.
Queries: frontiers&AT&osu.edu

Canada: National Health Law Conference 2012, May 4-5, 2012, Toronto. Info.

“Who Controls Childbirth?”  Human Rights in Childbirth conference May 31-June 1, The Hague, The Netherlands. Info.

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

South Asia Reproductive Rights Case Development Workshop. Kathmandu, Nepal. July 2012
Application deadline EXTENDED to March 15, 2012. Details and forms.

UCLA Law – Sonke Health & Human Rights LL.M. Fellowship at the Sonke Gender Justice Network, South Africa, deadline extended to March 15, 2012. Details.
RESOURCES

Adolescents – List of Resources from the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme, online here
(includes some resources on female genital cutting)

Spain:  “Underage abortion and beyond: developments of Spanish law in competent minor’s autonomy” by Jordi Ribot, Medical Law Review (2012)  Article

“Understanding young people’s right to decide” series of IPPF publications (11-22pp each)

1. What is childhood and what do we mean by ‘young person’?  Read

2 Why is it important to develop capacities for autonomous decision-making? Read

3 Are protection and autonomy opposing concepts? Read

4 How can parents effectively support the autonomous decision-making of young people? Read

5 How do we assess the capacity of young people to make autonomous decisions? Read

The Right of Young People to Health and Gender Identities: Findings, Trends and Targets for Public Health Action. (PAHO, 2011) [includes sections on the reproductive health needs of adolescent girls and LGBTI teens]. 80-page report  

US:   Reproductive Rights Prof Blog provides US-focused scholarship and news. Subscribe here.

NEWS

Russian Health Ministry announced it will only pay for abortions for women who are victims of rape.
News article.     More news coverage 
JOBS

Associate, Food and Drug Law,  O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health law, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA, apply by March 9, 2012.  Details

Legal Specialist, UN Women, New York, USA, apply by March 11, 2012.  Details

Researcher, Women’s Rights Division, Human Rights Watch. apply by March 4, 2012. Details.

Links to employers in the field of Reproductive and Sexual Health Law are now online here

—————

The International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme website is online here

COURTS, CALLS, RESOURCES & NEWS

REPROHEALTHLAW listserv
December 9, 2011

COURT DECISIONS

Canada: B.C. Polygamy — Supreme Court of British Columbia decision is a resounding affirmation of the need for a criminal prohibition on polygamy.  Reference case re Section 293 of the Criminal Code of Canada. 2011 BCSC 1588. Newspaper coverage.  Decision online. 

European Court of Human Rights: R.R. v. Poland decision (pregnant woman denied access to genetic testing of abnormal fetus) is now final.  A panel of five judges of the Grand Chamber decided not to accept the Government’s request that the case be referred to the Grand Chamber. Pursuant to Art 44 s. 2 of the Convention, the judgment of 26 May 2011 therefore became final on 28 November 2011. Decision online.

New case: European Court of Human Rights: Gauer v France: Forced sterilisation of 5 women with intellectual disabilities without informed consent and against their wishes.  News article.  Interights summary.

European Court of Justice bans patents based on embryonic stem cells  News article.    Decision online (Oct 18, 2011).   Background case: Brüstle v. Greenpeace, CJEU, Opinion of the Advocate General, 10 March 2011 

Legal commentaries on past decisions and developments are online here. 

CALLS

Gender Justice Uncovered Awards: nominations open Nov 15 2011-April 30, 2012. Submit the worst and best judicial statements on gender rights. These annual awards  reward gold, silver and bronze “gavels” to judicial pronouncements or decisions which promote gender equity, and gives gold, silver and bronze “bludgeons” to the most sexist and regressive decisions http://www.womenslinkworldwide.org/wlw/new.php?modo=detalle_prensa&dc=331 Contributions become part of the Gender Justice Observatory database, online here.

United Nations -OHCHR – Request for input – Technical guidance tools – Reducing preventable maternal mortality and morbidity, deadline Dec 15, 2011.  More info.

“Calls for Proposals re funding re sexual/repro health/rights projects offered by the European Union. E-neus ¬Nov 28 edition.  now online.

FELLOWSHIPS, EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Canada – Health Law, Ethics and Policy Fellowships for LL.M. or doctoral study at one of 4 Canadian law schools, now accepting applications from Canadian and international LLM or doctoral applicants.  Admission info.   Brochure.   Website.

Health Rights Litigation course, Global School on Judicial Enforcement of Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights, offered by The Health Rights of Women and Children Program at the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, June 18-22 2012 in Boston, MA, USA.  More info. 

 South Africa – Fellowship: Access to Justice- Past and Present: Promoting Access to Justice for the Marginalised and Vulnerable Groups. Call for Internal and External Participants. Centre for Criminal Justice, University of KwaZulu Natal, RSA Closing date: February 5, 2012.  More info

RESOURCES:

[abortion, Ireland] – U.N. Committee against Torture: Concluding observations on Ireland’s initial report – download here.
—Ireland Must Ensure Access to Lawful Abortion.  CRR press release

[abortion, Kenyan constitution, US] Foreign Assistance: Clearer Guidance Needed on Compliance Overseas with Legislation Prohibiting Abortion-Related Lobbying GAO-12-35 October 13, 2011.   SSRN article

[abortion, Latin America, book in Spanish] Aborto y Justicia Reproductiva: contextos, modelos regulatorios y argumentos para su debate, comp. Paola Bergallo. Editorial Editores del Puerto
 2011.  528 paginas.   book info in Spanish,

[abortion, personhood] On Abortion and Defining a ‘Person’ Op-ed By Gary Gutting, philosophy professor at University of Notre Dame.  health blog.

 [abortion, Poland] Stigmatisation and Commercialisation of Abortion Services in Poland: Turning Sin into Gold, Agata Chelstowska, Reproductive Health Matters, 19.37, pp. 98-106, 2011. SSRN article

[access to medicines, patents] ACTA – Risks of Third-Party Enforcement for Access to Medicines by Brook K. Baker, American University International Law Review, Vol. 26, No. 3, 2011.  SSRN article

[access to medicines, patents] Abbott, Frederick M., Intellectual Property and Public Health: Meeting the Challenge of Sustainability by Frederick M. Abbott, working paper, Nov 2011.  SSRN article 

 [assisted repro] Rethinking Sperm-Donor Anonymity: Of Changed Selves, Non-Identity, and One-Night Stands by Glenn I. Cohen, Georgetown Law Journal.  SSRN article 

 [assisted repro] Regulating Reproduction: The Problem with Best Interests, by I. Glenn Cohen. Minnesota Law Review, Vol. 96, p. 101, 2011.  Article

[assisted repro, Israel ] Egg freezing for non-medical uses: the lack of a relational approach to autonomy in the new Israeli policy and in academic discussion, Journal of Medical Ethics. Article

[cross-border] Circumvention Tourism, by I. Glenn Cohen, Cornell Law Review, Vol. 97, 2012. SSRN article

“Cross-Border Reproductive Care”  Reproductive Biomedicine Online, Vol. 23.  Symposium Issue

[assisted repro] Cross-border assisted reproduction care in Asia: implications for access, equity and regulations, by Andrea Whittaker, Reproductive Health Matters 19.37 (May 2011): abstract/press release.  Article .

[discrimination in access] Multiple Discrimination in Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health: Experiences from Latin America and the Caribbean, by Ximena Casas,  65 U. Miami L. Rev. 955.
proofs online.

[discrimination] European Commission: Compendium of practice on NonDiscrimination/Equality Mainstreaming- now in English, soon in German & French, 64 pp.   Publication

[discrimination] The Reflection of the Non-Discrimination Principle in ECHR Jurisprudence, by Roxana Alina Petraru, working paper.

[discrimination] Structures of Discrimination, by Rebecca J. Cook Macalester International Journal, Vol. 28, pp. 33-60, Spring 2011.  Article.

European Portal for Action on Health Inequalities.  Portal.

Gender Stereotyping: Transnational Legal Perspectives, by Rebecca Cook and Simone Cusack, U Penn Press, 2010. English paperback edition -cite 20% discount code: 0B1.  Now available:  Spanish edition (2011)

HIV Testing of Pregnant Women: An Ethical Analysis, by Kjell Arne Johansson et al. 11.3 Developing World Bioethics 109-119 (Dec 2011)  Article

[India – surrogacy] ‘You Can Use My Uterus’- New Horizons of Law Relating to Surrogacy, by Preeti Chaturvedi, Preeti et al.  Working paper

[infanticide] Murder, Medicine and Motherhood, by Emma Cunliffe. Oxford: Hart Publishing, 2011. Book info 

[Latin America] Sexual and reproductive health and rights in Latin America: an analysis of trends, commitments and achievements, by Emma Richardson & Anne-Emanuelle Birn, Reproductive Health Matters. 2011 Nov;19.38:183-96.  Article.   

Litigating Health Rights: Can Courts Bring More Justice to Health? Ed. Alicia Ely Yamin & Siri Gloppen, Contributors: Paola Bergallo, Octavio Luiz Motta Ferraz, Roberto Gargarella, Ottar Maestad, Ole Fritjof Norheim, Sharanjeet Parmar, Oscar Parra-Vera, Lise Rakner, Mindy Jane Roseman, Namita Wahi, Bruce M. Wilson Harvard University Press, Sept 2011.   Book info

Marriage and Divorce in a Multicultural Context: Multi-Tiered Marriage and the Boundaries of Civil Law and Religion, ed. Joel A. Nichols, Cambridge University Press, 2012; [interdisciplinary and international in scope] Table of Contents and Introduction online at SSRN

Maternal Pedagogies: In and Outside the Classroom edited by Deborah L. Byrd and Fiona J. Green.Demeter Press, 2011 15 North American scholars theorize about how cultural views of motherhood and personal experiences of mothering affect the processes of teaching and learning.  Book info

[prostitution, sex work] How to Argue About Prostitution, by Michelle Madden Dempsey. Criminal Law & Philosophy, 2011.  SSRN article

Repoliticizing sexual and reproductive health and rights.  Report of a global meeting, Langkawi, Malaysia, 3-6 August 2010, (published by Reproductive Health Matters and ARROW, 2011).  Report covers macroeconomic influences on health, public health education, essential medicines for SRH, human rights, funding policies and influences on the global agenda on the part of those in power. 74 pages.  Report online
or email Pathika Martin for a print copy.

Reproductive Health Matters, Nov 2011  issue, “Repoliticising sexual and reproductive health and rights”  is now online.  Table of Contents

[Russia] Jon O’Brien comments on recent erosion of reproductive rights for Russians   Op-ed article

[same-sex marriage] The Impacts on Education and Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage and Lessons from Abortion Jurisprudence, by Lynn D. Wardle. Brigham Young University Education and Law Journal, Vol. 2011, No. 2.  SSRN online

Sex Selection Abortion in Kazakhstan: Understanding a Cultural Justification. Developing World Bioethics 11 (3):154-160.   Article

[sex-trafficking] Labelling the Victims of Sex Trafficking: Exploring the Borderland between Rhetoric and Reality, by Michelle Madden Dempsey et al. Social & Legal Studies, Vol. 20, No. 3, p. 313, 2011.  SSRN online here 

[sex-trafficking] Researching Trafficked Women: On Institutional Resistance and the Limits to Feminist Reflexivity by Michelle Madden Dempsey et al., Qualitative Inquiry, Vol. 17, p. 769, 2011.  SSRN online here

[sex-trafficking] Widening Our Lens: Incorporating Essential Perspectives in the Fight Against Human Trafficking, by Jonathan Todres, Michigan Journal of International Law, Vol. 33, pp. 53-76, 2011. SSRN online here

Sexual and Reproductive Health: A Public Health Perspective, edited by Paul F.A. Van Look, H. Kristian Heggenhougen and Stella R. Quah. Academic Press, 2011. Includes article on Reproductive Rights by Joanna Erdman and Rebecca Cook.  Book info.

Surrogacy for the Single, Gay Man, by Tawia B. Ansah & Sharona Hoffman. Health Matrix: Journal of Law-Medicine, 22.1, 2012. SSRN abstract article

US: Reproductive Rights Prof Blog provides US-focused scholarship and news.  Subscribe here:
NEWS

Africa: New “Integration” Partnership Merges Education, HIV, Reproductive Health for Young in Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania аnd Zambia. IPPF news item.

[Argentina, update on campaign] For The Right To Legal, Safe And Free Abortion. AWID news analysis 

[Chile] Constitutional Court rejects gay marriage appeal However bill now moving through legislature that regulates de facto unions, including same-sex.  News article

[homosexuality] Global campaign to decriminalise homosexuality to kick off in Belize court. News article

[Mexico, abortion] Mifepristone registered in Mexico.  Ipas news

Nigeria: ‘Same Gender’ Marriage Ban Would Attack Rights Bill Would Invade Privacy, Threaten Broad Range of Activists – Human Rights Watch news 

Pakistan – “Anti-Women Practices Bill” passes Lower House – (to protect women against forced marriage, denial of inheritance).  video report

[surrogacy] South African court sets out guidelines for surrogacy arrangements.  News article

UK: Chair of British HIV Association criticizes law stopping visitors and asylum seekers from getting HIV drugs. News article  

UK pledges £35m for family planning for poor countries.  News article

UK Supreme Court upholds gene patent –for no specific use.  Bionews item.   AMRC policy blog

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COURTS, CALLS, COURSES & RESOURCES

REPROHEALTHLAW-L
November 10, 2011

DECISIONS:

ECtHR: Case of S.H. and Others v. Austria [sperm/ova donation] application no. 57713/00, European Court of Human Rights- Grand Chamber, final judgment 3 November 2011 Austrian ban on sperm/ova donation does not violate European Convention on Human Rights.  Press release   Judgment

ECtHR: VC v Slovakia (forced sterilization- Roma) Slovakia was found in violation of inhumane and degrading treatment and the right to private life for the coerced sterilization of a Roma woman.
Press Release    Judgment   Further reading:  CRR Report: Body and Soul: Forced sterilization and other assaults on Roma reproductive freedom.
 
European Court of Justice bans patents on embryonic stem cells. News article

UN – CEDAW – LC v. Peru decision [abortion in case of rape]:   Peru must relax restrictions on abortion.  Decision forthcoming online.   CRR press release

CALLS

Call for abstracts on Reproductive Health History (any aspect), Canadian Society for the History of Medicine Annual Meeting, University of Waterloo, Ontario,  250-300 word abstract and 1-page CV due Nov. 30, 2011. More info

Call for volunteers, Resisting & Challenging Religious Fundamentalisms initiative at AWID. More info

Call for papers: Women, the Charter, and CEDAW in the 21st Century: Taking Stock and Moving Forward.  Queen’s University Feminist Legal Studies   March 2-4, 2012, Kingston Ont., Canada.   More info

Reproducing Normality: Disability, prenatal testing and bioethics Workshop, University of Sydney, Australia, Wed. Dec 7, 2011  Event info

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

“Global Health Law and Governance”  Summer Program at Georgetown Law School, June 18-22, 2012,  Washington DC.  USA.  More info

“Health Rights Litigation” course, Global School on Judicial Enforcement of Economic, Social, and Cultural (ESC) Rights, offered by The Health Rights of Women and Children Program at the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights, Harvard University, June 18-22 2012 in Boston, MA, USA  Save the dates.

FUNDING

Calls for Proposals re funding re sexual/repro health/rights projects offered by the European Union.  E-nEUs  Oct 28th edition now online here.

Postdoctoral fellowships Women & Gender Studies, 2012-2014  Rice University.  More info

RESOURCES

[abortion, Brazil]  Negative Impacts of Abortion Criminalization in Brazil: Systematic Denial of Women’s Reproductive Autonomy and Human Rights, by Maria Beatriz Galli Bevilacqua, University of Miami Law Review 2011, 65: 969.  article

[abortion, counseling, informed consent] Abortion and Informed Consent: How Biased Counseling Laws Mandate Violations of Medical Ethics, by Ian Vandewalker, forthcoming in Michigan Journal of Gender & Law. article

[abortion, counseling, informed consent] Abortion Counselling and the Informed Consent Dilemma, by Scott Woodcock in Bioethics 25.9 (Nov 2011), pp 495-504 article

[abortion, counseling, informed consent] Sawicki, Nadia N., The Abortion Informed Consent Debate: More Light, Less Heat by Nadia N. Sawicki. Cornell Journal of Law and Public Policy, Vol. 21, p. 1, 2011. article
  
[abortion, Mexico] Abortion Legalization in Mexico City – 7 articles in special section in Studies in Family Planning, 42.3 (Sept 2011). table of contents with links

[abortion, Morocco] Government plans to legalize abortion in cases of rape or incest, currently allowed to save mother’s life. News article

[abortion, telemedicine] Effectiveness and Acceptability of Medical Abortion Provided Through Telemedicine, D. Grossman et al.,  Obstetrics & Gynecology 18.2, pt 1, Aug 2011, pp 296-303. article

[abortion] Russia’s parliament adopted a law limiting abortions but rejected tougher restrictions backed by the country’s conservative Orthodox Church.  news article

[abortion] The Criminalization of Abortion is an Abuse of State Power, by Meghan Doherty, Action Canada for Population and Development (ACPD), October 25, 2011 – RH Reality Check blog
 
[abortion] The World’s Abortion Laws  poster and new interactive format here.

[abortion] Amicus curiae brief to tje Mexican Supreme Court, 2009 written comments by the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme, Faculty of Law, Univesity of Toronto, re unconstitutionality claim for Article 7 amendment by the state of Baja California, contends that the Right to Life, as protected under Article 4(1) of the American Convention on Human Rights, permits legal abortion.  Now online in English and Spanish.

[access to medicines, patents] Intellectual Property and Public Health: Two Sides of the Same Coin by Yahong Li,  AJWH, Vol. 6, No. 389, 2011; article.

[anti-abortion] “San Jose articles” against abortion being promoted by celebrity signatories. Online here.
—Critique by Global Rights Watch, PPFA, online here.

[Argentina]  Women’s Rights at the Argentine Supreme Court: Innovative Non-Jurisdictional Offices for Women and a Conservative Jurisprudence on Reproductive Rights, by Alba Ruibal working paper

ASEAN: Making the fair choice: Key steps to improve maternal health in ASEAN, based on case studies in Indonesia and the Philippines. 13 page Amnesty International report, download here

[assisted repro]  Synthetic Cells, Synthetic Life, and Inheritance by Kristine S. Knaplund, Valparaiso University Law Review, Vol. 45, 2011.  article

[assisted repro, cross-border]  Assisted Reproduction on Treacherous Terrain: The Legal Hazards of Cross-Border Reproductive Travel, by Richard F. Storrow, Reproductive Biomedicine Online, Vol. 23, pp. 538-545, 2011.  article.

[assisted repro]  “Legislation for assisted reproductive technologies,” by Bernard Dickens,  in Joseph G. Schenker, ed.  Ethical Dilemmas in Assisted Reproductive Technologies (Germany: De Gruyter,  2011)  15-28.  Book info

[assisted repro] Capacity and Autonomy: A Thought Experiment on Minors’ Access to Assisted Reproductive Technology by Michele Goodwin & Naomi Duke, Harvard Journal of Law and Gender, Vol. 34, 2011. article

[assisted repro]  Psycho-Social, Ethical and Legal Arguments for and Against the Retrospective Release of Information About Donors to Donor-Conceived Individuals in Australia, by Sonia Allan, Journal of Law and Medicine, Vol. 19, No. 2, 2011.  article
 
Austria – Court of Appeal confirms fines for 4 anti-choice activists who bullied abortion doctor. Article in German

[contraception, Africa] Access to Contraception for Adolescents in Africa: A Human Rights Challenge, by Ebenezer Tope Durojaye, Comparative International Law Journal of Southern Africa, Vol. 44, No. 1, pp. 1-29, 2011. article

[consent, pregnant women] Recalcitrant Vessels: In Search of the Justifications for Compelled Medical Care of Pregnant Women (December 20, 2010)  by Carolyn Anne McConnell working paper

[emergency contraception (EC)]  How Do Emergency Contraceptive Pills Work to Prevent Pregnancy?  Mechanism of Action –  3 page explanation endorsed by FIGO and ICEC, in English – Spanish – French – German – Portuguese
Access to fact sheets and related policy papers here.
 
[EC, Hungary] No over-the-counter emergency contraception for Hungary. news article

Emergency Contraception: Catholics in Favor, Bishops Opposed (ICEC/CFC)  (8 page fact sheet) English & Spanish

[gender equality] Is the Right to Health a Necessary Precondition for Gender Equality? By Hilary Hammell,  New York University Review of Law & Social Change, Vol. 35, No. 1, 2011.  article

[gender equality] Gender Justice and CEDAW: The Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, by Sally Engle Merry,  Journal of Women of the Middle East and the Islamic World 9 (2011) 49-75, not online.

[HIV, Canada] Criminalization of Non-Disclosure of HIV Status to Sexual Partners, special section in McGill Journal of Law and Health 5.1 (Sept 2011), table of contents  links to:
— HIV/AIDS Introduction, by David Parry
— Prosecution of Non-Disclosure of HIV in Canada: Time to Rethink Cuerrier, by Isabel Grant
— Criminalization of the Intended Transmission or Knowing Non-Disclosure of HIV in Canada by Matthew Cornell

[HIV, family planning] What does family planning have to do with HIV? 2 page fact sheet

[HIV, India]  Rights of Persons Living with HIV/AIDS and Article 21 of the Indian Constitution by Sameer Boray, working paper

[HIV, patents]   Driving a decade of change: HIV/AIDS, patents and access to medicines for all [including low income countries.  Discusses “patent pools” among other tools.  by Ellen ‘t Hoen, Jonathan Berger, Alexandra Calmy and Suerie Moon. Journal of the International AIDS Society 2-11. 14:15  article

[HIV, patents] The Global Governance of HIV/AIDS and the Rugged Road Ahead: An Epilogue, by Peter K. Yu.  In: The Global Governance of HIV/ AIDS: Intellectual Property and access to essential medicines, by Obijiofor Aginam, et al, eds., Edward Elgar Publishing, 2012. article

[HIV, Uganda] Proposed HIV And AIDS Legislation Is A Setback To The Fight Against The Pandemic In Uganda.  AWID analysis

Ireland – contraception for adolescents – ambiguous laws  news article

Marriage as Punishment [for seduction. Historical analysis of state regulation of sex and sexuality] by Melissa E. Murray. Columbia Law Review, Vol. 100, No. 2, 2012. article.

[MSM] Sex in Your city (IPPF, 36 page report)   MSM case studies re Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Seoul & Busan.  Survey results and gaps re sexual health.  IPPF report

[patents, stem cell] The European Court of Justice bans stem cell patents. news article

[rape of child- fatal]  “Idowu: The Nigerian Supreme Court Erred!”  by Chinua Asuzu.  working paper.

Reproductive Health and Human Rights: Integrating Medicine, Ethics and Law – book by R. Cook, B Dickens & M. Fathalla (Oxford University Press, 2003).  Full text now available online, to institutional subscribers only:  link

The Right to Health in International Law [book], by John Tobin, Oxford University Press, 2011; U of Melbourne Legal Studies Research Paper No. 562. Introduction

[rights-based] UN OHCHR  Report on Good and Effective Practices in Using a Human Rights Based Approach to preventable Maternal Mortality & Morbidity [following up on UN HRC second resolution.] Report.

[sex work & trafficking laws, Spain] Iglesias Skulj, Agustina, El Control Penal De Las Trabajadoras Del Sexo En El Ambito De Las Politicas Contra La Trata De Mujeres Con Fines De Explotaci�n Sexual (El Caso Espanol) (Law Enforcement and Control of Sex Workers in the Field of Policies Against Trafficking in Women for Sexual Exploitation (Special Reference to Spanish Criminal Policy))  by Agustina Iglesias Skulj. Derecho Penal y Criminologia, 32(2011)  92.  article in Spanish

[sex work, Canada] Sex Work By Law: Bedford’s Impact on the Municipal Regulation of the Sex Trade , by Elaine Craig, Review of Constitutional Studies, Vol. 16, No. 1, 2011. article

[sex work, Canada] Why anti-john laws don’t work [ineffective in Sweden], by Lisa Kelly & Katrina Pacey newspaper op-ed

[sex work, UK, London] Most migrant sex workers are not forced to sell sex, ESRC study by Dr. Nick Mai, London Metropolitan University press release

[sterilization] Conceptualising Involuntary Sterilisation as “Severe Pain or Suffering” for the Purposes of Torture Disclosure, by Ronli Sifris (2010). 28 Netherlands Quarterly of Human Rights 523 article

[surrogacy, Australia]  The New Surrogacy Parentage Laws in Australia: Cautious Regulation or “25 Brick Walls”  by Jenni Millbank, Melbourne University Law Review, 35.1 (2011) article

[surrogacy] A Tale of Many Cities: Using Bioethics to Deconstruct Baby Stories from the Wild World of Commercial Surrogacy, by Seema Mohapatra,  Berkeley Journal of International Law (BJIL) article

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Compiled by the Coordinator of the International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme,
For Programme publications and resources, see our website.