The Charter of Fundamental Rights should be supplemented by sexual and reproductive health rights
Brussels (OTS) – International Human Rights Day takes place on Sunday, which also marks the end of the year from November 25th. The “16 days against violence against women” is celebrated. For Monika Vana, head of the Austrian Greens’ delegation in the European Parliament, this day is an occasion to highlight the protection and expansion of women’s rights.
“The numerous hotspots of war and conflict around the world have resulted in a worrying increase in human rights violations, as the League of Human Rights makes clear in its recently published findings,” explains Vana, pointing to a factor that further exacerbates the situation for women and girls.
“Women’s rights must also be anchored more firmly at the EU level. The EU directive on combating violence against women and domestic violence, which is currently being negotiated in trilogues, must be adopted as quickly as possible and must include a consent-based definition of violence. Gender-based violence must be added to the list of EU crimes, as hate crimes and hate speech have just been. And it is high time to finally include the right to safe abortions in the Charter of Fundamental Rights,” Vana urges the European Council to take this important step. “Human rights should not be a question of gender,” Vana said clearly.
“At the same time, in many places it is women who are taking an active role as human rights defenders, opposing the feminist backlash and fighting bravely for their basic human rights and dignity, sometimes under criminally serious or life-threatening conditions. Our full support and solidarity goes to these women-led protests in Europe and around the world, such as in Afghanistan over the right to education, and as in several European countries over access to reproductive rights. Last but not least, we continue to stand resolutely on the side of the “Women Life Freedom” movement in Iran and, as the European Parliament, are awarding the 2023 Sakharov Prize for Intellectual Freedom to Jina Mahsa Amini and the Iranian “Woman, Life, Freedom” movement, says Vana certainly.
Questions & Contact:
Green Club in Parliament
Sophia Giovanett
Press spokesperson Dr. Monika Vana MEP
sophia.giovanett@europarl.europa.eu