In recent years, conservative groups in Latin America have opposed laws and policies that ensure women’s access to reproductive health services such as abortion, family planning and emergency contraception. Cumulatively, these can have a negative impact on women’s health and their access to other health services. This paper will present the following key issues: 1) Recent experiences in Chile and Colombia that demonstrate the critical impact on women’s health of promoting access to reproductive health services within a human rights framework to enable broader recognition and protection of these rights. 2) The importance of collaborative efforts between the human rights community and public health advocates and providers to guarantee women’s access to reproductive health services. The Latin America Consortium for Emergency Contraception will be used as a model for effective collaboration and dialogue among these communities.
Learning Objectives:
At the conclusion of the session, the participants in this session will be able to
1. Recognize the importance of advocating for reproductive health services within a human rights framework.
2. Prioritize collaborative efforts among public health advocates and providers and reproductive rights advocates in order to effectively advocate for the right of women to have information and access to EC.
3. Apply the lessons learned from the challenges faced by groups in who promote emergency contraception at the local and national level across the region.