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Sexuality and Women’s Rights
Certain sexual acts to which women are particularly vulnerable are considered violations of human rights. When sexual and reproductive rights are abused or ignored, women and girls may be placed at risk of violence, sexual abuse, rape, sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, unintended pregnancy, abortion complications, abandonment, harmful practices (such as female genital cutting), and poverty. Any meaningful discussion of sexual and reproductive health services must address the politics of control of women’s sexuality and must appreciate the constraints on service delivery posed by this issue. Social factors affecting women’s ability to control their sexuality include culturally determined gender inequalities, economic dependency, inadequate access to health services, culturally sanctioned sexual abuse, and violence. For example, women are more vulnerable to diseases of the genital tract than men, both biologically and socially. Biologically, the vagina is a more permeable organ than the penis. Socially, lack of power within sexual relationships can make it difficult—if not impossible—for women to negotiate safer sex with their partners. Lack of economic power can also lead to vulnerability as some women are forced to enter into prostitution or multiple or temporary partnerships in hopes of bartering sex for economic gain or survival, including food, shelter, and safety. In many cases, women are at risk simply because they are economically dependent on their partners for survival and support.
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During
the 1990s, several international conferences were organized by the United
Nations to develop an agenda for social equality, justice, development,
and peace. The cornerstone of the resulting international agreements
is the protection of human rights. Ensuring women’s rights as human
rights enables full and equal participation in decision making and access
to opportunities in all social and economic activities. 