Akila Radhakrishnan

Last updated

Akila Radhakrishnan (born December 15, 1982) is a human rights lawyer [1] and the President of the Global Justice Center (GJC). [2] [3] Prior to her work with the Global Justice Center, Radhakrishnan worked at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, as well as with DPK Consulting and Drinker, Biddle & Reath, LLP. [4]

Contents

Education

Radhakrishnan received her B.A. in Art History and Political Science from the University of California, Davis and her J.D. from University of California, Hastings with a focus in International Law. [5]

Publications

Related Research Articles

The Mexico City policy, sometimes referred to by its critics as the global gag rule, is a former United States government policy that blocked U.S. federal funding for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that provided abortion counseling or referrals, advocated to decriminalize abortion, or expanded abortion services. When in effect, the Mexico City policy is a U.S. government policy that requires foreign non-governmental organizations to certify that they will not "perform or actively promote abortion as a method of family planning" with non-U.S. funds as a condition for receiving U.S. global family planning assistance, and during its January 23, 2017 implementation any other U.S. global health assistance, including U.S. global HIV and maternal and child health (MCH) assistance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion law</span> Laws that allow, prohibit, or regulate abortion

Abortion laws vary widely among countries and territories, and have changed over time. Such laws range from abortion being freely available on request, to regulation or restrictions of various kinds, to outright prohibition in all circumstances. Many countries and territories that allow abortion have gestational limits for the procedure depending on the reason; with the majority being up to 12 weeks for abortion on request, up to 24 weeks for rape, incest, or socioeconomic reasons, and more for fetal impairment or risk to the woman's health or life. As of 2022, countries that legally allow abortion on request or for socioeconomic reasons comprise about 60% of the world's population.

Reproductive rights are legal rights and freedoms relating to reproduction and reproductive health that vary amongst countries around the world. The World Health Organization defines reproductive rights as follows:

Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.

Abortion in El Salvador is illegal. The law formerly permitted an abortion to be performed under some limited circumstances, but in 1998 all exceptions were removed when a new abortion law went into effect.

Since 2021, abortion has no longer been a federal crime in Mexico. The criminal law in Mexico varies by state. On 7 September 2023, the Mexican Supreme Court unanimously ruled that penalising abortion is unconstitutional, setting an important precedent across the whole country. Before 2019, abortion had been severely restricted outside of Mexico City, where it was legalized on-request in 2007. As of August 2023, abortion is available on request to any woman during the first twelve weeks of a pregnancy in Mexico City and the states of Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Veracruz, Coahuila, Colima, Baja California, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo, and Aguascalientes. However, even in states where abortion is legal, there continue to be women in pre-trial detention for murder due to the spontaneous miscarriages of pregnancies.

Unite for Reproductive & Gender Equity (URGE) is a national youth-led reproductive rights and justice non-profit organization in the United States based in Washington, D.C. that began as Choice USA in 1992. Choice USA changed its name to URGE in July 2014.

Reproductive justice is a critical feminist framework that was invented as a response to United States reproductive politics. The three core values of reproductive justice are the right to have a child, the right to not have a child, and the right to parent a child or children in safe and healthy environments. The framework moves women's reproductive rights past a legal and political debate to incorporate the economic, social, and health factors that impact women's reproductive choices and decision-making ability.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Women's Media Center</span> American nonprofit womens organization

Women's Media Center (WMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit women's organization in the United States founded in 2005 by writers and activists Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem. Led by President Julie Burton, WMC's work includes advocacy campaigns, giving out awards, media and leadership training, and the creation of original content.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Janet Benshoof</span> American lawyer

Janet Benshoof was an American human rights lawyer and President and Founder of the Global Justice Center. She founded the Center for Reproductive Rights, the world's first international human rights organization focused on reproductive choice and equality.

Abortion in Zimbabwe is available under limited circumstances. Zimbabwe's current abortion law, the Termination of Pregnancy Act, was enacted by Rhodesia's white minority government in 1977. The law permits abortion if the pregnancy endangers the life of the woman or threatens to permanently impair her physical health, if the child may be born with serious physical or mental defects, or if the fetus was conceived as a result of rape or incest. Nevertheless, an estimated 70,000+ illegal abortions are performed in Zimbabwe each year, resulting in around 20,000 maternal deaths.

"War on women" is a slogan in United States politics used to describe certain Republican Party policies and legislation as a wide-scale effort to restrict women's rights, especially reproductive rights, including abortion. Prominent Democrats such as Nancy Pelosi and Barbara Boxer, as well as feminists, have used the phrase to criticize proponents of these laws as trying to force their social views on women through legislation. The slogan has been used to describe Republican policies in areas such as access to reproductive health services, particularly birth control and abortion services; the definition of rape for the purpose of the public funding of abortion; the prosecution of criminal violence against women; and workplace discrimination against women.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Abortion in Ukraine</span>

Abortion in Ukraine is legal on request during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. Between 12 and 28 weeks, abortion is available on a variety of grounds, including medical, social and personal grounds, and for any reason with the approval of a commission of physicians. Oral contraception is available over-the-counter without a prescription and the morning after pill is also readily available.

Abortion in Uganda is illegal unless performed by a licensed medical doctor in a situation where the woman's life is deemed to be at risk.

Abortion in Kazakhstan is legal as an elective procedure up to 12 weeks, and special circumstances afterwards. The relevant legislation is based on the laws inherited from the country's Soviet past, when abortion was legally permitted as a contraceptive.

The Global Justice Center (GJC) is an international human rights and humanitarian law organization aiming to advance gender equality by helping to implement and enforce human rights laws. Headquartered in New York City and led by Akila Radhakrishnan, the GJC is a member of the United Nations NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security. The GJC works with national and international Non-governmental organizations, the United Nations, the International Criminal Court, and others to promote the progressive, feminist interpretation and application of international law.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sonia Corrêa</span> Brazilian feminist activist and researcher

Sonia Corrêa is a feminist activist and researcher from Brazil, working primarily on issues of gender equality, health and sexuality. Since 2002, she has co-chaired Sexuality Policy Watch (SPW), a global policy forum analysing global trends in sexuality related policies and projects.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sunsara Taylor</span> American activist

Sunsara Taylor is an American political activist affiliated with the Harlem-based Revolutionary Communist Party, USA, also known as RCP or RevCom. She has been a vocal opponent of the anti-abortion movement, the sex industry, and U.S. imperialism, having previously debated these topics on Fox News.

Pamela Merritt is an American writer and reproductive justice activist who advocates for women's rights and against white supremacy. Merritt is the executive director at Medical Students for Choice (MSFC), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a network of over 10,000 medical students and residents around the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loretta Ross</span> African American activist, writer and teacher on reproductive justice

Loretta J. Ross is an American academic, feminist, and activist who advocates for reproductive justice, especially among women of color. As an activist, Ross has written on reproductive justice activism and the history of African American women.

The SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective, also known as SisterSong, is a national activist organization dedicated to reproductive justice for women of color.

References

  1. Radhakrishnan, Akila. "California Bar".
  2. "Buffalo Business First". bizjournals.com. 2018-06-23. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  3. Bratby-Rudd, Cori (2018-06-29). "Akila Radhakrishnan is Now at the Helm of the Global Justice Center's Powerful Work for International Human RightsAkila Radhakrishnan is Now at the Helm of the Global Justice Center's Powerful Work for International Human Rights". msmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  4. "Our Staff - Global Justice Center". globaljusticecenter.net. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  5. "Our Staff - Global Justice Center". globaljusticecenter.net. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  6. "Beyond the Coup in Myanmar: A Crisis Born from Impunity". Just Security. 2021-05-18. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  7. Radhakrishnan, Opinion by Serra Sippel and Akila (28 March 2020). "Abortion is a human right. A pandemic doesn't change that". CNN. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  8. Sarver, Akila Radhakrishnan, Elena (17 June 2020). "Trump's Chilling Blow to the ICC". Foreign Policy. Retrieved 2022-04-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  9. "Beyond Killing: The Critical Role of Gender in the Recognition, Prevention and Punishment of Genocide". Just Security. 2018-12-14. Retrieved 2022-04-19.
  10. Radhakrishnan, Akila; Kallas, Kristina (21 August 2012). "Foreign Policy, Akin-Style: How the U.S. Denies Abortions to Women Raped in War". The Atlantic. Retrieved 20 July 2018.
  11. "Burma's Hollow Reforms - Global Justice Center". globaljusticecenter.net. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  12. "Burma's Hollow Reforms" by Onello, Michelle, Radhakrishnan, Akila - Ms, Vol. 24, Issue 2, Summer 2014". Archived from the original on 2018-08-01.
  13. Radhakrishnan, Akila (2015-06-17). "Not Only Voiceless, But Choice-less: The Impregnated Victims of Boko Haram". msmagazine.com. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  14. Radhakrishnan, Akila. "The Cruelest Weapon" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  15. "With Trump Presidency, A Coming Collision With Global Standards on Torture, Abortion Rights - Rewire.News". Rewire.News. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  16. "How Obama Failed Women Raped in War". Time. 12 August 2016. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  17. "Opinion | Trump's Action on Reproductive Rights Abroad". The New York Times. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  18. Radhakrishnan, Akila (2011-08-11). "Why is the U.S. Waging War on Women Raped in War?" . Retrieved 2018-07-20.
  19. Radhakrishnan, Akila (2009). "Israel's Invasion of Gaza in International Law".
  20. Radhakrishnan, Akila (2017-11-30). "Protecting safe abortion in humanitarian settings: overcoming legal and policy barriers". Reproductive Health Matters. 25 (51): 40–47. doi: 10.1080/09688080.2017.1400361 . PMID   29189110.
  21. Radhakrishnan, Akila; Kallas, Kristina (June 2012). "If These Walls Could Talk, They Would Be Censored: U.S.Restrictions on Pro-Choice Speech" (PDF). genderhealth.org/. Retrieved 2018-07-20.