Date: 14 December

Source: Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE)

The Committee on Publication Ethics has launched two new position statements that set out international standards for responsible research publication for editors and authors. The standards were developed collaboratively, by experts across the scientific, philosophy and social research fields from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, the Middle East and North America.

The standards cover issues such as ensuring that research funders and sponsors cannot veto publication of findings that do not favour their product or position, separation of a journal's commercial activities  and editorial processes, making sure that any research complies with national and international laws and best practice guidelines before publication.

The two international standards can be found on the COPE website.

Date: 22 November 2011

Source: UnCut Voices Press

Blood Stains: A child of Africa reclaims her human rights is the memoir of Khady, a Senegalese woman living through and speaking out against FGM. It tells her story from a child marriage in Senegal, the birth of three children before the age of 19, and her journey from the village to international activism.

Blood Stains is published by UnCut Voices Press, a publisher dedicated to ending female genital mutilation.

Contact UnCut Voices for more information or to purchase a copy of Blood Stains.

Date: 30 November 2011
Source: AWID

Egyptian feminist organisations cancelled their planned participation in the 16 days of activism against gender based violence campaign due to start on November 30. A number of feminist organisations decided that they could not focus on the GBV campaign in the current political situation in Egypt and, instead, had to join the popular protests against police and military brutality and the abuses by the ruling authorities.

On 19 November security forces violently dispersed people who were injured in the revolution in June and who had been calling for state compensation and payment for treatment by organising a sit-in in Tahrir Square and other places. Others joined the injured in protest against police brutality and military rule.

The 16 Days of Activism is a chance to draw attention to violence against women living under military rule, but the immediate need to go onto the street was felt to be more important. Feminist organisations report that women are participating more in this second wave of revolution. Women are on the frontline, including women politicians who were not on the street earlier in the year, making human shields and in the field hospitals. Despite the opposition that women are facing from some men, who are trying to stop women from taking part in the protest, there are many other men who are supporting women's involvement.

Nazra for Feminist Studies, The Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights, The New Woman Foundation, El-Nadeem Center for Rehabilitation of Victims of Violence and the Women and Memory Forum are calling for support to move into a peaceful stage and continue women's participation in remaking their country.

Date: 2 December 2011
Source: Population and Sustainability Network

As the world's population nears seven billion, Population and Sustainability Network drew attention to the links between population dynamics, sexual and reproductive rights and climate change, in a launch of two new publications at the UK parliament.

The publications report on a symposium held in 2010, organised in association with Commat, BMA and PPD Africa. They call for political leadership to ensure that both population and consumption issues are addressed in an integrated way. One report is presented as an advocacy toolkit for use by activists and policy makers.

The developing world contributes the least greenhouse gas emissions, will be most affected by climate change and are least able to deal with the negative effects. Urgent action is needed to challenge climate change scepticism. Family planning is an essential right for women and there must be funding for sexual and reproductive health. Most importantly, climate change funding needs to recognise family planning as part of effective adaptation strategies. There must be political leadership to ensure that issues related to population growth are addressed in tandem with efforts to reduce consumption.

The reports can be downloaded from the PSN website. See the RHM blog for more comment on this issue.

Date: 1 December 2011
Source: Guardian

The technology giant, Apple, is under fire from reproductive rights activists who report that Siri, the voice recognition software for the iPhone 4S, appears reluctant to talk about reproductive health services.

When asked to find an abortion clinic in Manhattan, for example, Siri replies "Sorry, I couldn't find any abortion clinics." However, the service is easily able to find escort agencies or advise on where to dump a dead body. Reportedly it has also directed individuals to anti-abortion agencies in some places. 

Activists have written to Apple's Chief Executive Officer asking for the application to be fixed so that it can provide accurate information about reproductive health options.

Date: 1 December 2011
Source: ASTRA

Women's rights have been set back significantly by the recent passing of a controversional abortion bill in Russia that will require a mandatory waiting period before performing an abortion, and allows doctors to abstain from performing abortion.

However, there have been some changes to the initial proposed start of the bill thanks to advocacy from women's rights groups and medical practitioners. The new bill guarantees free family planning consultations and, for those who choose to be pregnant, free medical assistance during pregnancy, delivery and post-pregnancy and nutritional support for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers as well as children under 3 years old.

Date: 1 December 2011
Source: ASTRA

In Tajikistan, a new series of television programmes is to provide information on modern family planning methods, the importance of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases and a medical abortion as a safer and less expensive option as compared to the traditional method. This will fill a much needed gap in a country where access to sexual and reproductive rights information is restricted. The stories will raise awareness about the sexual health risks that male migration to and from Russia is contributing to, and will focus on the high level of maternal deaths in the country. Alongside these social messages, women friendly offices are to be set up to support women in need.

Date: 1 December 2011

Source: ASTRA

A group of 23 human rights and women's rights organisations have issued a public letter to protest against an increasing number of domestic violence acts against women in Albania. They call on Albanian society to raise its voice against the damage this violence causes to society and call on the state to use legal action against violence in family relations. This year alone, seventeen women have been killed at home by domestic violence. The organisations are calling for changes in the law to provide more effective protection to victims of domestic violence.

Meanwhile, in Lithuania, women's rights groups are organising a march to publicise a new law against domestic violence. In December 2011 a new law came into force providing special protection for women who are victims of domestic violence. The new legislation establishes and funds ten new centres for victims of violence.

Date: 1 December 2011

Source: Abortion Care Network

For many years, abortion care providers in the US have faced harassment, threats and violence. In response, a manual called Fight Back! has just been published by the Abortion Care Network, a network of US-based independent abortion providers, allies and individuals who provide quality abortion care for women. 

The short guide aims to help those fighting to keep abortion clinics safe for women who choose to use them. It suggests a number of strategies that providers have used which have pushed back against harassment and intimidation, including guidance on identifying and removing internet harassment, tips on dealing with direct harassment by anti-abortion activists outside clinic sites and legal remedies which are specific to the US but could be adapted for elsewhere.

The guidelines can be requested by .

Date: 1 December 2011
Source: Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT)

The Sex Workers Education and Advocacy Task Force (SWEAT) has issued a press release condemning the last-minute removal of all specific commitments on human rights from South Africa's new National Strategic Plan on HIV, STIs and TB 2012-16. The last-minute change to the strategic plan has dealt a huge blow to the evidence-based, public health response on issues for sex workers.

Police abuse and stigma towards sex workers fuels the epidemic. Recent findings from South Africa's Modes of Transmission Study has found that one in five new HIV infections in South Africa is sex work-related. Yet in the face of this evidence, the government has chosen to remove a five year commitment to progress the decriminalisation of sex work from the new Strategic Plan.

SWEAT had representation on the South African National AIDS Commission (SANAC) working group on sex work but the voice of sex work and public health advocates has not succeeded in maintaining a commitment to decriminalisation of sex work. The failure to endorse an evidence-based HIV prevention method -- decriminalisation of sex work -- is a disappointing lack of leadership and a step backward for HIV prevention.

Date: 1 December 2011

Source: Aidsmap

Only half of all US HIV-positive patients remain in care and only 28% of people with HIV have an undetectable viral load. The review of recent surveillance data also finds that a fifth of HIV infections in the country were undiagnosed. Of the 77% of diagnosed patients who were initially receiving care, only just over half continued to regularly access care.

Treatment, for those who continued, had good medical outcomes with 77% of patients on antiretroviral therapy having undetectable viral load. But the high rate of undiagnosed infections and the large proportion of patients dropping out of care meant that only 28% of all HIV-positive patients in the US had an undetectable viral load. The study found racial disparities, with white patients having highest rates of viral suppression, Hispanic patients with lower rates of treatment adherence and black patients with the lowest rates. Only 70% of black patients on treatment achieving virological suppression. Only 45% of patients in care had received HIV prevention counselling. There were significant disparities in age, with younger patients more likely to have received counselling, and also disparities in race and HIV risk group.

This study highlights the challenges of the use of HIV treatment as prevention unless consistently accompanied by other forms of HIV prevention.

Date: 30 November 2011
Source: Irish Times

Following the European Court of Human Rights' ruling that Ireland must increase abortion rights, the Irish Minister of Health has established a 14-member expert group. The group will have six months to deliver a report to government on the recommendations of the European Court. 

The European Court ruled that Ireland had failed to implement existing rights to lawful abortion where a mother's life is at risk. The court found the State violated the rights of a woman with cancer who said she was forced to travel abroad to obtain an abortion.

Date: 30 November 2011
Source: AWID

Around 800 members of the human rights group, Women of Zimbabwe Awake (WOZA), marched to parliament on 28 November at the launch of the 16 campaign against gender violence. The march was to launch WOZA's campaign under the theme - From Peace in the Home to Peace in the World: Let's Challenge Militarism and End Violence against Women. The march was held in defiance of the Ministry of Gender and Women’s Affairs who barred the celebration.

Although the march was barred and marchers were closely watched by officials, the protesters reached the door of Parliament and sang and gave speeches for 20 minutes, calling for an end to gender violence and militarism. Speakers talked of the high levels of domestic violence and the fact that in Zimbabwe, women aged 15-44 years are more at risk from rape and domestic violence than from cancer, car accidents, war, and malaria. WOZA also highlighted the forced recruitment of children into youth militia and the increase in militia bases in Harare.

Bystanders came up and testified to their own experiences of abuse and to offer solidarity.

Date: 30 November 2011

Source: Guardian

A 2010 national mortality survey by the Afghanistan health ministry indicates that lifetime maternal mortality has dropped from one in 11 to one in 50 and that infant mortality has halved from one in five to one in ten children under the age of five years. The investment in training community health workers and midwives is demonstrating results. However, one Afghan woman dies about every two years from pregnancy-related causes and the reduction in international aid that comes with the withdrawal of foreign troops is a threat to ongoing progress.

Date: 22 November 2011
Source: Irin News

The launch of a free fistula hotline at the Aberdeen Women's Centre, in Freetown, Sierra Leone, offers free help to the many women in Sierra Leone who have, until now, suffered in silence. Vesico-vaginal fistula (VVF) is very common in Sierra Leone. The highest estimates put fistula prevalence at a similar rate to maternal mortality - one in eight women - but there is little research to back up these estimates. Lack of awareness of the cause of fistula and the stigma and blame mean that few women talk about the condition. Fistula occurs most often in young women (15 to 30 years old), most of whom come from rural areas with poor access to healthcare. Widespread rape trauma, during and after Sierra Leone's long civil war, was also a cause of high fistula rates several years ago.

The hotline is a free phone number, staffed by three nurses, run as a partnership between the clinic, UNFPA, private foundations and a telecommunications company. In the first month more than 8,000 calls have been received, but so far just 0.1 percent have been about cases of fistula because of the very low levels of information about VVF. This low percentage, however, means that the clinic has received 90 cases since the hotline opened and this is the start of success. The clinic provides the only comprehensive fistula repair service in the country.

The Ministry of Health emphasises the need for prevention, with information and reproductive health services, especially for adolescent girls. Sierra Leone is currently finalizing a strategic plan to tackle fistula and will appoint a focal person by the start of 2012.

Date: 28 November 2011

Source: AWID

On the International Day on the Elimination of violence against women and girls, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has written an open letter to the UN General Secretary denouncing the extreme levels of violence women journalists face. 

The letter denounces aggression, threats, political pressure, violence, rape and abuse that women journalists have to face due either to their gender or simply for doing their job. The situation is made much worse by the prevailing culture of impunity which protects and emboldens the perpetrators of these crimes. The majority of these crimes remain unsolved, and attackers or killers do not face justice. Authorities tend to deny that these women have been killed because of their work as journalist.

Among the countries failing to protect women journalists adequately the IFJ points at Mexico, the Philippines, Somalia, Russia, Nepal and Israel.

Date: 25 November 2011
Source: The Guardian

A study of more than 64,500 births in England has found that giving birth at home or in a midwife-led birth centre is just as safe as going into hospital for women who already have a child, but there is a slight extra risk of problems for the babies of first-time mothers who opt to stay at home. Women with low-risk pregnancies should have the right to choose where they want to give birth, conclude the authors of the research.

The report found that adverse outcomes for the baby, such as still birth, were rare in women who had low-risk pregnancies and there were no significant differences between hospital obstetric units and elsewhere. There was an increase of nearly 3% in the risk of an adverse outcome for babies of first-time mothers at home, although the study was not able to identify which aspects of the care or site contributed to this.

The study also found the experience for the woman was very different between hospital and other settings, with fewer interventions such as caesarean sections, epidurals for pain relief and forceps deliveries amongst women who had planned to give birth at home or in a birth centre and at least started their care there.

Currently only 4% of women give birth at home and midwife-led birth centres are available in only half the areas of England.

Date: 24 November 2011
Source: Deutsche Welle

Illegal abortion is often the only option for women in Pakistan, where abortion is illegal, women have little access to sexual and reproductive health, contraceptive use is low and where few married women are able to make their own decision about their own health care. This has had drastic results. The Guttmacher Institute estimates that in Pakistan as many as one in six deaths occur as a result of illegal abortions.

The Dutch-based NGO, Women on Waves, recently set up an abortion hotline in Pakistan to give practical information about unwanted pregnancy, and sexual and reproductive health in general. They are working in partnership with the Pakistani women's group, Aware Girls. Information about safe abortion, with other sexual and reproductive health, is offered to women who call in. Despite violent opposition from Islamic groups and some political parties, the organisations are determined to continue to offer this essential service.

Date: 21 November 2011
Source: Alice Klein, Guardian

In Zambia, the taboo surrounding abortion leads to thousands of women dying every year as they try to terminate pregnancies illegally. These deaths account for 30% of the already high maternal mortality rate of 591 deaths per 100,000 live births. Girls and young women under 19 years old account for a staggering four in five of these deaths.

Although abortion is legal in case of maternal physical or mental wellbeing, few people know about it. Even for those who do, getting the required signatures from three doctors is extremely hard. Cultural taboos about abortion, and difficulties of talking about such issues with parents and fears about confidentiality, make it harder for adolescent girls, even when they could afford an abortion.

In the face of these challenges, there are some initiatives trying to educate people about unsafe abortion. Africa Directions, a local NGO in Lusaka, performs plays in the community, using local stories to raise discussion about unsafe abortion. After the performances, which are led by a local TV soap star who coordinates the project, and is always a draw, the actors hand out slips directing local residents to a nearby health centre where they can obtain sexual and reproductive health advice.

Date: 18 November 2011
Source: Paulo Longo Research Institute

New multi-country research from Bangladesh, India and Nepal provides evidence about the high levels of violence experienced by disabled, sex-working and lesbian women. The report provides evidence that women face marginalisation and social exclusion on the grounds of disability, sex work and/or sexual orientation. This increased the risk of suffering inter-personal violence from a wide range of perpetrators and also reduces the likelihood of successfully accessing care and support. Access to care and support is further reduced because interest groups tend to work in silos, so - for example - disability rights groups are often not active about gender.

The research interviewed over 1,600 disabled, sex-working and lesbian women in the three countries, along with service providers and stakeholders. Policy recommendations were shared with key decision-makers and policymakers, who commented on the acceptability and feasibility of the recommendations. The policy makers stressed the need to focus on implementation of policies and resource allocation.

The research is one of the first to provide evidence about the situation experienced by excluded and marginalised women in South Asia. The report is published by CREA, a global, feminist, human rights organisation based in India, in collaboration with a number of academic institutes in Bangladesh, Nepal, India and the UK.

The executive summary can be downloaded here or via the CREA website.

Date: 10 November 2011

Source: National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe and Free Abortion

A proposed Legal Abortion Bill, submitted to the Argentine parliament for debate, has become mired in confusion. The draft law would legalise voluntary termination up to 12 weeks, and in cases of rape, fetal malformation or risk to the woman's life and health after that.

According to Argentina's National Abortion Campaign, the Penal Legal Commission approved the resolution, which would allow the draft bill to proceed forward for debate by other parliamentary commissions. At the start of the meeting, held on November 1st, the chair of the Commission tried to put aside the draft law in favour of a new draft law prepared by him. This proposal was rejected by many of the MPs present, and apparently a vote was taken on the initial draft law, leading to a majority vote. However, this was denied by the chair of the commission and media reports then announced that the draft resolution had been rejected.

It remains unclear what the next steps are for the proposed bill, but the campaign for safe, free and legal abortion continues.

Date: 4 November 2011
Source: Newswise

Researchers working on HIV vaccines have struggled to convince people in at-risk communities to participate in HIV trials. A recent study with people eligible for participation in these trials has found a number of misconceptions. University of Toronto researchers interviewed nine focus groups of people that would be eligible for an HIV vaccine trial and discovered that there were a lot of misconceptions. Many falsely believe that vaccine trials expose them to the risk of getting HIV, have a general distrust of doctors and medical researchers, and are also concerned about perceived targeting of individuals who are 'at risk'.

GeoVax labs, a biotechnology company that is developing HIV vaccines, has expressed concern about the implications of this research. The biotechnology company talked of the paramount importance of engendering trust within the communities who they argue would benefit from the HIV therapeutic vaccine that is currently being tested.

Therapeutic vaccines, when used in combination with existing oral medications, could eventually cure someone of HIV. Last February, GeoVax announced the results of Phase 1 clinical trial testing of its vaccine products involving three trial regimens; the vaccines showed excellent safety characteristics in each.

Date: 12 October 2011
Source: Science Daily

Researchers in the University of Southamption, UK, and Ben Gurion University, Israel, have made a significant breakthrough in accessing the chlamydial genome which could pave the way for more effective treatment of the disease.

Until now, it has not been possible to study chlamydial genetics, making it difficult to study the disease comprehensively. The researchers managed to access the chlamydial genome, proving that they could do so by inserting the gene for a fluorescent protein into C. trachomatis which identified the chlamydial-infected cells by making them glow green.

They hope that it could eventually lead to the development of a vaccine for C. trachomatis. Chlamydia is a major cause of sexually transmitted infections, causing pelvic inflammatory disease, increasing the risk of infertility and ectopic pregnancy.

Their paper is published in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Pathogens and has been selected as the Editor's Choice for the journal Science.

Date: 16 August 2011
Source: Center for Reproductive Rights

In August, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) issued a landmark decision that establishes a state's responsibility on preventable maternal death case within the UN Human Rights System.

Alyne da Silva Pimentel Teixeira was a young Brazilian woman who died in 2002 when she was six month's pregnant. After feeling severe nausea and abdominal pain, she had been examined in a health centre. Before returning for scheduled tests two days later, her health situation worsened. When she returned to the centre, she was told her fetus had died. After delivering a still birth in a private health facility, she underwent curettage surgery and became disoriented. The private clinic had no transport available, so she had to wait eight hours to be transferred to a public health hospital, where no beds were available. She had been left unattended in the hallway of the public hospital for 21 hours when she died.

The case was filed against the state of Brazil in 2007 by two reproductive rights organisations, . The CEDAW Committee decided that her death was a maternal death. The Brazilian state was found to have neglected its due diligence obligation to ensure appropriate pregnancy services, neglected its duty to regulate and monitor private health care institutions, failed to address discrimination against a woman who was poor and of African descent, and failed to ensure effective judicial protection for the family. The CEDAW Committee made several recommendations to Brazil to comply with its international human rights obligations, including appropriate compensation to her family, and more generally ensuring women's rights to safe motherhood and affordable access to emergency obstetric care.

The CEDAW Communique and ruling can be accessed here.

Date: 18 October 2011
Source: Irish Family Planning Association

In a hearing in Geneva in October 2011, UN member states examined Ireland's domestic human rights record, including abortion and other reproductive rights records and demanded concrete legislative action on the abortion issue from the Irish Minister for Justice. Eight countries made strong recommendations or asked tough questions regarding Ireland's restrictive abortion laws. Five countries called on Ireland to either decriminalise abortion or allow for abortion in the case of rape, incest and when a woman's health and wellbeing are at risk.

In response to questions and recommendations at the hearing, the Minister for Justice made a commitment to deal with the abortion issue in an 'adequate and comprehensive' way and to 'meet our obligations under the convention of human rights'. The Justice Minister must now outline the terms of references and timeline of a proposed expert group which the Government has promised in response to a pending abortion legal judgement, and must also make a firm commitment to provide legislation for adequate abortion services and to give clarity to women and their doctors.

Date: 28 October 2011
Source: Catholics for Choice

A poll released today shows that most Argentineans are in favour of liberalising the abortion law. A parliamentary committee is preparing to discuss the abortion law at a hearing on November 1. Over 80% of those polled support a woman's right to access abortion care when her health is at risk  or when the pregnancy is a result of rape and almost 70% support abortion being available when the fetus has severe abnormalities. The survey also showed that while abortion is officially almost completely unobtainable in Argentina, a third (34%) of Argentineans know someone who has had an abortion.

About three quarters of the population is Catholic, but 70% of respondents rejected the idea that Catholics have a moral obligation to vote against candidates who support legal abortion, while nearly six in ten say that the bishops do not play an important role in their voting decisions.

A copy of the survey is available on the Catholics for Choice website.

Date: 19 October 2011
Source: IRIN News

Kenya's government is scrambling to remove thousands of batches of counterfeit antiretrovirals (ARVs) from circulation after patients and health workers reported irregularities in the appearance and texture of Zidolam-N, a combination treatment containing zidovudine, lamivudine and nevirapine. Zidolam-N is a WHO-certified generic drug purchased through a distributor endorsed by the Kenya Pharmacy and Poisons Board (KPPB), the country's drug regulatory authority. 

According to the KPPB, the fake drugs were not manufactured by the licensed producer, Hetero Drugs Limited, based in India. WHO's investigations found that the batch number that appeared on the fake drugs was the same as one that appears on a Hetero-produced batch, manufactured and controlled according to WHO-recommended specifications, found to be of acceptable quality and not been supplied to Kenya.

All patients have been asked to return these drugs to clinics. Of an estimated 16,340 batches of the counterfeit drug that have been released, 15,000 have been returned and KPPB is tracking down the remaining counterfeith drugs that have been issued. Officials say the government is investigating how the drugs found their way into the country, and is looking into strengthening surveillance systems. Activists have criticised the regulatory authorities for allowing counterfeit drugs into the supply chain, especially where treatment requires strict adherence to a regimen.

Date: 23 October
Source: Die Standard

An Austrian court has convicted four members of an anti-abortion group for harassment of a doctor who is performing abortions. The head of the group Austria was sentenced to 6,200 Euros and three of his colleagues to fines of several hundred Euros each. This was the verdict of the court of appeal, which means that no further appeal is possible. This is the first time in Austria that harassment in relation to abortion has been declared illegal by a court.

In British Columbia, Canada, there has been legislation in place since 1996 to prevent activity of anti-abortion demonstrators near abortion services or the homes and offices of doctors providing abortions. This legislation was enacted with significant consultation of stakeholders, following the attempted murder of a Canadian abortion provider. There have been challenges to this legislation over the years in courts, but the legislation has been upheld to date.

1st October 2011 was the 40th anniversary of the original 'Our Bodies, Ourselves' book, a groundbreaking publication that provided practical and accurate information by and for women, about our bodies, sexuality, and health. The book was recently named one of the 100 most influential books written in English since 1923 by Time Magazine.

The anniversary was celebrated by a free public symposium at Boston University on women's health and human rights, 'Our Bodies, Our Future: Advancing Health and Human Rights for Women and Girls'. The speakers highlighted the most pressing issues that impact the health and safety of women and girls today and discussed ways to secure their full civic and political involvement.

The book is a product of Our Bodies Ourselves, also known as the Boston Women's Health Book Collective, which is a nonprofit, public interest women's health education, advocacy and consulting organisation. The Our Bodies Ourselves Global Initiative collaborates with women's organisations developing resources based on Our Bodies, Ourselves for outreach and advocacy in their own countries. Since 2001, the initiative has worked with more than 22 groups, providing the technical assistance and support they need to deliver evidence-based, culturally meaningful health resources in print, digital and interactive formats to millions of women and girls.

A newly revised and updated edition of Our Bodies Ourselves was launched on 1 October 2011. It continues to address the broad range of women's reproductive health and sexuality. The book also has new sections on how health care reform affects women and how to get the care you need, safer sex, environmental health risks and how to minimise exposure to everyday pollutants that endanger our bodies and reproductive health, body Image and healthy approaches to looking and feeling good, local and global activism.

More information about how to order the new edition is available here.