Status of human rights in the context of sexual health and reproductive health rights in India

Commissioned by the National Human Rights Commission, this report was drafted by Partners for Law in Development and Sama – two New Delhi-based resource groups working for the rights of marginalised communities in India. The report, published in April 2018, provides an assessment on the status of sexual and reproductive health rights in the country. The report compares its findings from a country-level assessment with the current international frameworks on sexual and reproductive health rights. The report talks about the “pervasive discomfort with sexuality and sexual pleasure” which is reflected in the policing of sexuality and the punitive restrictions placed upon it. It also analyses various laws, policies and demographic data on reproductive health to outline the status of reproductive health rights in India. The report provides various recommendations concerning legal reform, government schemes and programmes, training, data collection and collaboration with civil society organisations. The 164-page report is divided into three parts. The first part ‘Country assessment on human rights in the context of sexual health and well-being’ contains six chapters: Introduction to sexual health and well-being (Chapter 1); Scope of sexual health and well-being (Chapter 2); Non-discrimination and equality in access to sexual health services (Chapter 3); Information, knowledge to enable exercise of informed choices (Chapter 4); HIV/AIDS and STI prevention (Chapter 5); and Protection from sexual violence and regulation of sexual autonomy (Chapter 6)...