Upholding the human rights – including sexual reproductive rights – of all people is a necessity for individual well-being and collective sustainable growth. Human rights related to sexuality, gender diversity, and sexual reproductive health are often sidelined and deprioritized by governments and stakeholders around the world.
On this Human Rights Day, we call to attention critical SRHR issues in the Asia-Pacific. The criminalization of abortions and restrictions to bodily autonomy, stigmatization and barriers to comprehensive sexuality education, intersectional violence against people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, gender expressions, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC), early marriages and unintended pregnancies are all critical human rights issue we must combat!