Gender equality and human rights are indivisible, foundational and unconditional
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Shobha Shukla (CNS)
"When human rights are treated like an 'à la carte menu' by governments, and not what they truly are - in-divisible, foundational and unconditional... we move fast into dystopia," said Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Right To Health.
"We saw during COVID-19 lockdown time that people who were from the most marginalised groups, were furthest pushed behind. These included: peoples from gender diverse communities, women in all diversities, women in sex work, women who use drugs, or young girls, for whom there was hardly any access to care, support and services. Gender-based violence was being more reported during the pandemic. We have learnt the harder way that how we want to ensure marginalised people are included in strengthening the health systems and making them resilient in gender-trans-formative manner," said Dr Harjyot Khosa, Regional External Relations Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and member of Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC 2030.
"We need to engage marginalised communities in all their diversities to adapt and redesign health systems to better protect them within the framework of universal health coverage," Dr Khosa added. She was speaking at a special Side Event alongside 78th World Health Assembly organised by Global Centre for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), International Planned Parenthood Federation, Fos Feminista, CNS, and partners.
Dr Harjyot Khosa reminded that health systems are defined and designed for heterosexual married people, like ‘good couples’ as per the harmful social norms rooted in patriarchy. “So, perception and level of stigma and misogyny within healthcare systems is what we all grapple with every day. Sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice has to be the first push to deliver on UHC at all levels,” she said.
"Just because of the colour of your skin, people become a victim of sexual assault. When they go the police, they are turned away because they are 'not citizens of the country.' Or a woman is denied mental healthcare because of language barriers. These are the realities I face daily in Dominican Republic,” said Dr Eliezer Lappots-Abreu, Executive Director, Health Horizons International, Dominican Republic.
"Although we live in Dominican Republic where health access and universal health coverage is part of the norm, but it is not accessible for everybody because it excludes women of colour and immigrants. One of my patients, a Haitian woman, was diagnosed with cervical cancer but when we connected her to services to treat her cancer, she was turned away because of the language barrier. When we arranged a translator for her, we were told that they can understand her but unable to serve her without documentation. Patient wondered if her options was to get palliative care or just die in the house,” he added.
“It is not accidental that 'C' in 'UHC' (Universal Health Coverage) stands for 'coverage' in the official language but it should be about Care–Universal Health Care. No wonder due to governments focussing on UHC, or coverage, we see increasing space for ‘health insurance.’ Universal Health Care (and not Universal Health Coverage) better links us with the spirit of Alma Mata Declaration of 1978 (which heralded WHO led call to deliver on Health For All),” said Baba Aye, Health and Social Services Officer, Public Services International (PSI), who earlier worked for two decades in the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.
"We cannot talk of universal health care without health workers for all," said Baba Aye of PSI. He said that when 13% of maternal mortality are from unsafe abortions, and two-thirds of healthcare workers are wo-men, imagine the struggle in countries where abortion is criminalised.(To be contd)
"When human rights are treated like an 'à la carte menu' by governments, and not what they truly are - in-divisible, foundational and unconditional... we move fast into dystopia," said Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng, United Nations (UN) Special Rapporteur on Right To Health.
"We saw during COVID-19 lockdown time that people who were from the most marginalised groups, were furthest pushed behind. These included: peoples from gender diverse communities, women in all diversities, women in sex work, women who use drugs, or young girls, for whom there was hardly any access to care, support and services. Gender-based violence was being more reported during the pandemic. We have learnt the harder way that how we want to ensure marginalised people are included in strengthening the health systems and making them resilient in gender-trans-formative manner," said Dr Harjyot Khosa, Regional External Relations Director, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and member of Civil Society Engagement Mechanism for UHC 2030.
"We need to engage marginalised communities in all their diversities to adapt and redesign health systems to better protect them within the framework of universal health coverage," Dr Khosa added. She was speaking at a special Side Event alongside 78th World Health Assembly organised by Global Centre for Health Diplomacy and Inclusion (CeHDI), International Planned Parenthood Federation, Fos Feminista, CNS, and partners.
Dr Harjyot Khosa reminded that health systems are defined and designed for heterosexual married people, like ‘good couples’ as per the harmful social norms rooted in patriarchy. “So, perception and level of stigma and misogyny within healthcare systems is what we all grapple with every day. Sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice has to be the first push to deliver on UHC at all levels,” she said.
"Just because of the colour of your skin, people become a victim of sexual assault. When they go the police, they are turned away because they are 'not citizens of the country.' Or a woman is denied mental healthcare because of language barriers. These are the realities I face daily in Dominican Republic,” said Dr Eliezer Lappots-Abreu, Executive Director, Health Horizons International, Dominican Republic.
"Although we live in Dominican Republic where health access and universal health coverage is part of the norm, but it is not accessible for everybody because it excludes women of colour and immigrants. One of my patients, a Haitian woman, was diagnosed with cervical cancer but when we connected her to services to treat her cancer, she was turned away because of the language barrier. When we arranged a translator for her, we were told that they can understand her but unable to serve her without documentation. Patient wondered if her options was to get palliative care or just die in the house,” he added.
“It is not accidental that 'C' in 'UHC' (Universal Health Coverage) stands for 'coverage' in the official language but it should be about Care–Universal Health Care. No wonder due to governments focussing on UHC, or coverage, we see increasing space for ‘health insurance.’ Universal Health Care (and not Universal Health Coverage) better links us with the spirit of Alma Mata Declaration of 1978 (which heralded WHO led call to deliver on Health For All),” said Baba Aye, Health and Social Services Officer, Public Services International (PSI), who earlier worked for two decades in the Medical and Health Workers Union of Nigeria.
"We cannot talk of universal health care without health workers for all," said Baba Aye of PSI. He said that when 13% of maternal mortality are from unsafe abortions, and two-thirds of healthcare workers are wo-men, imagine the struggle in countries where abortion is criminalised.(To be contd)