ONLINE - The Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe organised a parliamentary webinar on "COVID-19 and sexual and reproductive health and rights: challenges and opportunities". Moderated by Hon. Petra Bayr, MP (Austria), the webinar aimed to address how Council of Europe Member States must ensure women’s access to sexual and reproductive health and rights in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including a discussion of implications of COVID-19 on SRHR for LGBTI people.
Neil Datta highlighted some laudable outcomes from certain European countries where governments quickly reacted by removing barriers to safeguard sexual and reproductive rights in the face of an overburdened health service. For example, some countries lifted prescription requirements, offered contraceptives free of charge, shifted to telemedicine including for abortion pills, or opened alternative shelters for victims of gender-based violence. Post-pandemic, there must be a sustained effort to tackle barriers to SRHR.
"Where there is political will, there is a way to provide fast & effective measures to ensure SRHR are not restricted." - Neil Datta
Nevertheless, pre-existing obstacles to women’s access to sexual and reproductive health and rights have been exacerbated during the pandemic that is deepening gender inequalities.
Hon. Fourat Ben Chikha, MP (Belgium) discussed how binary health services lead to gender-based barriers and called for more data on the situation for LGBTI+ in order to tackle discriminatory attitudes towards LGBTI+ people in health care.
"Health care systems must be adapted to the diversity of people's bodies so that LGBTQI+ people are not left behind. This is a momentum. There will be a post-coronavirus world. We really need political leaders willing to fight for vulnerable groups." - Hon. Fourat Ben Chikha, MP (Belgium)
Finally, the Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatovic joined the panel and concluded the event, stating it had highlighted that the challenges regarding sexual and reproductive health and rights including for LGBTQI+ people are significant and that governments, civil society, parliaments and service providers must continue to work together to address them.
Panelists:
- Hon. Petra Bayr, MP (Austria) Chairperson, Committee on Equality and Non-Discrimination, Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe
- Dunja Mijatovic, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights
- Monica Ferro, UNFPA, Director of the Geneva office
- Hon. Fourat Ben Chikha, MP (Belgium) PACE, General Rapporteur on the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people
- Neil Datta, Secretary, EPF
- Caroline Hickson, Regional Director, IPPF European Network
- Orla O'Connor, Director, National Women's Council of Ireland