International Women's Health Coalition

Last updated
International Women's Health Coalition
AbbreviationIWHC
PredecessorNational Women's Health Coalition
FormationJune 1, 1984;40 years ago (1984-06-01)
Founder Joan Dunlop and Adrienne Germain
Type Non-governmental organization
Location
  • 333 Seventh Avenue, New York City, United States
Website https://iwhc.org

The International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1984 based in New York City. It focuses on issues relating to women and girls' human rights, health and equality and represents part of the women's movement that recognizes that many challenges to gender equality lie in challenges in health issues and in raising families. [1] The IWHC is one of the oldest currently active global feminist groups. [2]

Contents

In June 2021, IWHC announced that it will merge with the Center for Health and Global Equality and the International Planned Parenthood Federation Western Hemisphere Region. [3] The name of the resulting organization is Fòs Feminista. [4]

History

Joan Dunlop was the first president and served from 1984 to 1998. [5] Dunlop took over the National Women's Health Coalition created by Merle Goldberg and changed its mission to become more international in scope. [6] [7] The original NWHC was small, with a staff of three, and funded abortion training and other health services projects in various countries. [8] Adrienne Germain was also involved in co-founding IWHC with Dunlop. [9] Germain became vice president of IWHC in 1985. [7] Germain and Dunlop created a unique approach to women's health initiatives by investing in "local women-led organisations that provide services and influence national policies, and, simultaneously, advocating for global policy and funding. [10]

IWHC attended the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo where they asked for the inclusion for access to contraception, safe abortion, maternity care, better access to women's health services and comprehensive sex education. [11] In preparation for the conference, Dunlop and 15 colleagues developed a set of guidelines called "Women's Declaration on Population Policies", which focused on women's rights in family planning. [5] The "Women's Declaration" was eventually reviewed and finalized with the help of 100 different women's organizations around the world. [12] The "Women's Declaration" was adopted by the conference in Cairo. [13] One of the main goals of the "Women's Declaration" was to "shift the focus of population programs from goals and targets" to considering the whole of a woman's life. [14] Dunlop with the IWHC argued that working towards gender equality in addition to sex education would help reduce birth rates. [15] Demographic goals and targets, conversely, led to programs that included forced or unwanted sterilizations and "inappropriate methods of family planning" for women. [14] Dunlop also called demographic and target methods to population control "basically racist" because she felt there was a subtext that "those black and brown people should not have more children." [16]

At the U.N. Women's Conference in Beijing in 1995, IWHC lobbied to include the idea that women have a right to control their sexuality "free of coercion, discrimination and violence." [17] Dunlop, said, "It moves beyond sexuality as a means of reproduction." [17] This agreement at the women's conference marked the first time women's sexuality was acknowledged as a right for women to control. [18] It gave women a legal tool in countries where husbands were still legally able to force their wives to have sex. [16] IWHC also sponsored women's groups from poorer nations to be able to attend the Beijing conference. [19]

IWHC held a symposium in 1997 where they discussed women's health and international policy. Often, it was found that women's health issues had been undermined by economic policies by the United States. [20]

By the time Dunlop retired in 1998, the IWHC had a $4 million annual budget. [16] The IWHC was also "playing a leading role in influencing government and UN agency policies to ensure women's human rights were at the core of population policies." [13] Germain became the next president of IWHC after Dunlop in 1998. [7]

Françoise Girard succeeded Germain as president of IWHC in 2012. [7] [21]

Activity

IWHC remains staunch on the idea that giving women better access to health care and sex education is the right and ethical way to help stabilize the world's population growth. [22] [23] The IWHC also publishes books relating to research and reviews of various policies relating to women's health. [24] IWHC supports "50 health projects in eight countries." [5] IWHC works cooperatively with the United Nations (UN) Population Fund and the World Bank. [25]

Related Research Articles

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Millennium Development Goals</span> Eight international development goals for the year 2015 by the United Nations

In the United Nations, the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) were eight international development goals for the year 2015 created following the Millennium Summit, following the adoption of the United Nations Millennium Declaration. These were based on the OECD DAC International Development Goals agreed by Development Ministers in the "Shaping the 21st Century Strategy". The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) succeeded the MDGs in 2016.

Gender equality, also known as sexual equality or equality of the sexes, is the state of equal ease of access to resources and opportunities regardless of gender, including economic participation and decision-making, and the state of valuing different behaviors, aspirations, and needs equally, also regardless of gender. To avoid complication, other genders will not be treated in this Gender equality article.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Nations Commission on the Status of Women</span> Advisory board

The Commission on the Status of Women is a functional commission of the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), one of the principal organs of the United Nations. CSW has been described as the UN organ promoting gender equality and the empowerment of women. Every year, representatives of member states gather at United Nations Headquarters in New York to evaluate progress on gender equality, identify challenges, set global standards and formulate concrete policies to promote gender equality and advancement of women worldwide. In April 2017, ECOSOC elected 13 new members to CSW for a four-year term 2018–2022. One of the new members is Saudi Arabia, which has been criticised for its treatment of women.

The bisexual community, also known as the bi+, m-spec, bisexual/pansexual, or bi/pan/fluid community, includes members of the LGBTQ community who identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, polysexual and sexually fluid. As opposed to hetero- or homosexual people, people in the bisexual community experience attraction to more than one gender.

The Coalition Against Trafficking in Women (CATW) is a radical feminist and gender-critical non-governmental organization opposing human trafficking, prostitution, and other forms of commercial sex. It has been described as a "neo-abolitionist lobby group" that represents a "carceral feminist anti-trafficking practice," and has been criticized for essentializing women and promoting a controversial and "ideologically charged" definition of trafficking. It is strongly opposed to the perspectives of the Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women and the sex workers rights movement. It has been linked to anti-trans groups and its Latin American regional branch is a signatory of the manifesto of far-right anti-trans group Women's Declaration International.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">World Conference on Women, 1995</span> United Nations conference

The Fourth World Conference on Women: Action for Equality, Development and Peace was the name given for a conference convened by the United Nations during 4–15 September 1995 in Beijing, China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sexuality in China</span> Cultural attidues toward human sexuality in China

Sexuality in China has undergone dramatic changes throughout time. These changes can be categorized as "sexual revolution". Chinese sexual attitudes, behaviors, ideology, and relations have especially gone through dramatic shifts in the past four decades due to reform and opening up of the country. Many of these changes have found expression in the public forum through a variety of behaviors and ideas. These include, but are not limited to the following cultural shifts: a separation of sex and marriage, such as pre- and extramarital sex; a separation of sex from love and child-bearing such as internet sex and one-night stands; an increase in observable sexual diversity such as homo- and bisexual behavior and fetishism; an increase in socially acceptable displays and behaviors of female sexual desire; a boom in the sex industry; and a more open discussion of sex topics, including sex studies at colleges, media reports, formal publications, online information, extensive public health education, and public displays of affection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Reproductive justice</span> Social justice movement

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 in Mauritius</span>

Women in Mauritius refers to the social demographic of women in Mauritius. Women's role in Mauritian society changed throughout the 20th century. Historically, Mauritian culture maintained patriarchal power structures, in domains inclusive of family and work life. Women's contribution in the workforce increased due to the creation of 'Export Processing Zone', by the Mauritian Government. This shift resulted in a surge in 'dual-earner' and working single-mother households.

The Beijing Declaration was a resolution adopted by the UN at the end of the Fourth World Conference on Women on 15 September 1995. The resolution adopted to promulgate a set of principles concerning the equality of men and women.

Sexual and reproductive health and rights or SRHR is the concept of human rights applied to sexuality and reproduction. It is a combination of four fields that in some contexts are more or less distinct from each other, but less so or not at all in other contexts. These four fields are sexual health, sexual rights, reproductive health and reproductive rights. In the concept of SRHR, these four fields are treated as separate but inherently intertwined.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Esperanza Brito de Martí</span> Mexican journalist (1932–2007)

Esperanza Brito de Martí was a Mexican journalist, feminist and reproductive rights activist. She was the director of Fem magazine for nearly 30 years and wrote as a correspondent for several newspapers and magazines. Her journalism was honored with the National Journalism Prize "Juan Ignacio Castorena y Visúa". She was an advocate for both contraception and abortion rights. Through her many activities, she co-founded the Coalición de Mujeres Feministas, the Movimiento Nacional de Mujeres and pressed for the founding of the first Rape Crisis and Guidance Center (Coapevi), first agency for dealing specifically with sexual crimes, first Center for Domestic and Sexual Violence (NOTIFY). In 1998, the first Center for Support of Women which was named after her was opened.

Joan Marie Dunlop was a British women's health advocate and activist. She was the first president of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC).

Adrienne Germain was a women's health advocate and activist. She was the second president of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC). Germain was also a researcher and author.

<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.

World Conference on Women, 1975 was held between 19 June and 2 July 1975 in Mexico City, Mexico. It was the first international conference held by the United Nations to focus solely on women's issues and marked a turning point in policy directives. After this meeting, women were viewed as part of the process to develop and implement policy, rather than recipients of assistance. The conference was one of the events established for International Women's Year and led to the creation of both the United Nations Decade for Women and follow-up conferences to evaluate the progress that had been made in eliminating discrimination against women and their equality. Two documents were adopted from the conference proceedings, the World Plan of Action which had specific targets for nations to implement for women's improvement and the Declaration of Mexico on the Equality of Women and Their Contribution to Development and Peace, which discussed how nations foreign policy actions impacted women. It also led to the establishment of the International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women to track improvements and continuing issues and the United Nations Development Fund for Women to provide funding for developmental programs. The conference marked the first time that the parallel Tribune meeting was successful in submitting input to the official meeting and became a catalyst for women's groups to form throughout the world.

The Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Encuentros are a series conferences which began in 1981 to develop transnational networks within the region of Latin America and the Caribbean. The main focus of the conferences was to discuss and evaluate how women's marginalization and oppression could be eliminated given the existing economic and political systems by forming networks and strategies to create alternatives to existing norms. At times contentious, the various conferences explored what feminism meant—whether it was an inclusive movement or limited by social class, racial make-up, or sexuality; whether it was militant or passive; whether it was political, social, or economic; whether it was designed to work within patriarchal systems or needed to create new systems; and even whether accepting funding invalidated being feminist. Numerous initiatives recognizing diverse groups of women, such as Black and indigenous women, lesbian women, and various cultural and economic groups were spawned by the dialogues. The conferences are an ongoing attempt to negotiate strategies in an attempt to change region-wide policy agendas toward women.

Noelene Nabulivou is a Fijian activist and spokesperson on climate change, sustainable development, and gender equality. She is the co-founder and political advisor for Diverse Voices and Action for Equality (DIVA), an organisation that promotes climate justice, reducing violence against women, human rights, and LGBTQ rights.

Violence against women are acts of violence committed against women.

References

Citations

  1. ↑ Weisman, Carol S. (2000). "Empowerment and Women's Health: Theory, Methods, and Practice" . Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law. 25 (3): 609. doi:10.1215/03616878-25-3-607. S2CID   70580966 . Retrieved 27 March 2016– via Project MUSE.
  2. ↑ Morgan, Robin (26 March 2016). WMC Live #161: Emily Rice, Françoise Girard, Jennifer Scanlon. (Original Airdate 3/26/2016) (Radio broadcast). Women's Media Center. 33 minutes in.
  3. ↑ "IPPFWHR Announces a New Feminist Alliance". International Women's Health Coalition. Archived from the original on 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2021-11-12.
  4. ↑ "Fòs Feminista to Advance Sexual and Reproductive Health, Rights, and Justice Across the Global South". Fòs Feminista. 27 October 2021. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  5. 1 2 3 Martin, Douglas (30 June 2012). "Joan Dunlop, Advocate for Women's Health Rights, Dies at 78". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  6. ↑ "Medical Writer Merle Goldberg Dies". The Washington Post. 3 December 1998. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "History". International Women's Health Coalition. Archived from the original on 6 May 2016. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  8. ↑ Girard, Françoise (29 June 2012). "Statement by the Board and Staff of IWHC on the passing of Joan B. Dunlop". International Women's Health Coalition. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  9. ↑ "Adrienne Germain, President Emerita of the International Women's Health Coalition". Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Harvard University. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  10. ↑ Shetty, Priya (5 March 2011). "Adrienne Germain: helping to shape policy for women's health". The Lancet. 377 (9768): 803. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(11)60294-8 . PMID   21377559. S2CID   38084022.
  11. ↑ Cumberland, Sarah (February 2012). "From Population Control to Human Rights". Bulletin of the World Health Organization. 90 (2): 86–87. doi:10.2471/blt.12.040212 (inactive 5 December 2024). PMC   3302563 . PMID   22423158.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of December 2024 (link)
  12. ↑ "Women's Declaration on Population Policies". Development in Practice. 3 (2): 116–121. June 1993. doi:10.1080/096145249100077121. JSTOR   4028955.
  13. 1 2 "Joan Dunlop". Reproductive Health Matters. 20 (40): 197. November 2012. doi: 10.1016/s0968-8080(12)40650-4 . JSTOR   41714995.
  14. 1 2 Casterline & Sinding 2000, p. 695.
  15. ↑ Chira, Susan (13 April 1994). "Women Campaign for New Plan to Curb the World's Population". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 Bumiller, Elisabeth (14 April 1998). "Putting Women's Rights in Population Policy". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  17. 1 2 "Control of Sexuality Wins Panel Approval" . Colorado Springs Gazette Telegraph. 11 September 1995. Retrieved 27 March 2016– via Newspaper Archive.
  18. ↑ "Women's Conference May Agree on Controversial Issues" . News (Frederick, Maryland). 11 September 1995. Retrieved 27 March 2016– via Newspaper Archive.
  19. ↑ Crossette, Barbara (4 April 1995). "Unofficial Groups Facing Barriers to U.N. Parley on Women". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
  20. ↑ Rogers 2016, p. 204.
  21. ↑ "Françoise Girard". The Huffington Post. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  22. ↑ Gallager, Mike (28 October 2011). "Population Control: Is it a Tool of the Rich?". BBC News. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  23. ↑ "About Us". International Women's Health Coalition. Archived from the original on 7 May 2016. Retrieved 28 March 2016.
  24. ↑ "International Women's Health Coalition - IWHC" . Women's International Network News. Vol. 20, no. 4. September 1994. p. 21. Retrieved 27 March 2016– via EBSCO.
  25. ↑ Gatison, Annette Madlock (2013). "International Women's Health Coalition". In Stange, Mary Zeiss; Oyster, Carol K.; Sloan, Jane E. (eds.). The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World (Updated ed.). SAGE Publications. ISBN   9781452270371.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.