Women's bodies have become political battlegrounds: UN
Targeting the US Presidential elections, UN said, unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal death globally, but often the physician is not going to put unsafe abortion on the death certificate.
By Vibhuti PathakApr 17, 2024
The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday said that women's bodies have become political battlegrounds, putting risk 30 years of progress on sexual and reproductive health for women and girls.
Thirty years ago, at a conference in Cairo, 179 countries agreed to put reproductive health at the heart of sustainable development, which "paved the way for decades of progress", said UNFPA chief Natalia Kanem -- who herself attended the conference.
There a decline of 20 per cent since the three decades worldwide in unwanted pregnancies and number of maternal deaths have decreased by 34 per cent between the time gap of 2000 to 2020, as mentioned by UNFPA in its flagship annual State of World Population report, which has been published yearly since 1978.
The number of women using contraceptives has doubled, and at least 162 countries have passed laws against domestic violence.
However, "the rights of women, girls and gender-diverse people are the subject of increasing pushback", Kanem told a press conference.
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"Annual reductions in maternal deaths have flatlined. Since 2016 the world has made zero progress in saving women from preventable deaths in pregnancy and childbirth," she stressed.
But there is also a downhill to this whole issue, as per UNFPA, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination were also blocking broad gains in sexual and reproductive health for women and girls.
"The data are damning. Women and girls who are poor, belong to ethnic, racial and indigenous minority groups, or are trapped in conflict settings, are more likely to die because they lack access to timely health care," the agency said.
The key issues in the US presidential election campaign this year also includes fertility and abortion, to which Kanem calls it "the willingness to politicise women's body as a battleground."
UNFPA does not take a position on individual member states' policies, but Kanem said that where legal, abortion should be safe and accessible, and where illegal, post-abortion services -- typically relating to haemorrhage -- should be made available.
Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal death globally, but "often the physician is not going to put unsafe abortion on the death certificate", she said.
"The lives and well-being of women and girls should not really be subject to political pressures," Kanem insisted.
There was an emphasis on the gender violence which is rampant in almost all countries. Almost half of the women are still unable to make decision for their bodies and one out of four women cannot say not to sex.
Last month, legislators in The Gambia began considering reversing the 2015 ban on female genital mutilation.
Kanem noted this came at a time when there are "over 230 million survivors of FGM -- and there's been a 15-percent increase in that number since 2016".
The report said that although women of all socio-economic classes and ethnicities report easier access to health care over time, the most marginalised women have seen the least improvement.
Across the Americas, women of African descent are more likely to die when giving birth than white women. In the United States, the rate is three times higher than the national average, the agency said.
Women with disabilities are up to 10 times more likely to experience gender-based violence than their peers without disabilities.
An African woman who experiences pregnancy and childbirth complications is around 130 times more likely to die from them than a woman in Europe and North America, UNFPA said.
AN ASIAN writer has explained how his new book makes Britain’s imperial past “accessible, engaging and thought-provoking” for a younger audience.
Award-winning author and journalist Sathnam Sanghera’s new book, Journeys of Empire, explores empire through 10 journeys he described as being “extraordinary”. Sanghera said his book, published last month by Puffin UK, is “a way of helping children understand how Britain’s biggest story still shapes the world today.”
“We’re not taught this history very well,” he told Eastern Eye.
“The empire is morally complex – sometimes we were good, sometimes bad – so, how do you even begin talking about it? It’s also contentious. There are millions of us whose families were colonised, and millions whose families were the colonisers.”
Teachers cannot teach what they themselves were never taught, Sanghera pointed out.
“There are multiple layers to why British people are so bad at talking about this history. It touches on race, misogyny and geopolitics. It’s easier just not to talk about it.”
And , the cover of his book
Following the success of his bestselling children’s title Stolen History, Sanghera’s this latest work continues Sanghera’s mission to write for readers aged nine and above. With a focus on human experiences, Sanghera said he wanted show that history is not just a list of dates or conquests – it’s a tapestry of stories that connect people.
Born in Wolverhampton to Punjabi immigrant parents, he began school unable to speak English. Later he graduated with first-class honours in English language and literature from Christ’s College, Cambridge.
He has since built a career as a writer and journalist.
His memoir, The Boy with the Topknot, and his novel, Marriage Material, were both shortlisted for the Costa Book Awards. Empireland, Sanghera’s exploration of Britain’s colonial legacy, was longlisted for the Baillie Gifford Prize for Non- Fiction, named a Book of the Year at the 2022 National Book Awards, and inspired the Channel 4 documentary series Empire State of Mind.
His first children’s book, Stolen History, introduced young readers to the complex and often overlooked realities of empire. With Journeys of Empire, Sanghera aims to go further. “When I finally learned about the British empire, it changed how I saw myself, how I saw Britain, and how I saw India,” he said.
“It seemed obvious that you’d want to give this gift to young people – because your 40s is a bit late to be learning all this.”
Sanghera said the 10 journeys in the book take readers across continents and centuries, revealing both the ambition and the brutality of empire.
“The British empire covered a quarter of the world’s surface and a large portion of its population. It was seven times the size of the Roman empire,” he said.
Aiming to ensure diversity in both perspective and geography, Sanghera said he chose stories from various countries and different phases of the 400-year history.
Alongside India and Mahatma Gandhi, readers will learn about Guyana’s indentured labour system, Gertrude Bell’s adventures in Iraq, and the British invasion of Tibet led by Francis Younghusband.
“I wanted to highlight areas often left out of mainstream narratives,” the writer said. The stories are written with an accessible and honest tone, and with humour.
“Violence is a tricky area,” Sanghera said. “You can’t go into graphic detail, but you also shouldn’t whitewash it. The violence and racism of colonialism were intrinsic. “I tried to strike a balance - acknowledging the brutality without overwhelming young readers.”
Writing for children isn’t much different from writing for adults, Sanghera said.
“You still need engaging stories and to hold attention. The main thing is to avoid big words that might put them off.”
He pointed out how storytelling can counter the allure of digital screens.
“Kids are addicted to screens, and reading rates are falling globally. That’s disastrous for mental health, intellectual development, and politics,” he said.
“When you get news from screens, you’re in an echo chamber – you’re not being challenged or taught to think in a nuanced way.”
Sanghera’s hope is that stories of Journeys of Empire – from pirates to princes and explorers to rebels – will draw in young readers to a world of curiosity and reflection. He said, “The British empire is a complex story. Even the ‘good guys’ had flaws. That’s what makes it worth understanding.”
At the heart of his book is a message about complexity and contradiction. “The empire involved slavery and the abolition of slavery. It caused environmental destruction and inspired environmentalism. We live in a world that struggles with nuance, but that’s what makes us human,” Sanghera said.
“My hope is that readers – kids and adults – learn that opposite things can be true at the same time.”
After six years of writing about empire, Sanghera said he’s ready for a change. His next book will focus on the late pop star George Michael, due out in June next year.
“I thought George Michael would be a nice break from empire. But then I learned that his father came from Cyprus - which was under British rule. The reason he left Cyprus was because of the British. So, even George Michael’s story connects back to empire. You can’t escape it, wherever you go.”
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