As members of the Nordic All Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), we are firmly committed to advancing fundamental human rights for all, including the most marginalized communities, as a critical part of our societies’ continued development. We share a strong commitment to protect and improve every persons’ right to decide over their own bodies, sexuality and lives. We will continue to strengthen the Nordic cooperation in order to mobilize support for SRHR both at home and internationally.
We remain deeply concerned by the increasing pressures on sexual and reproductive rights. These rights cut to the core of human dignity, fundamental freedoms, health and well-being. We see a worrying trend across Europe, where some European countries are restricting access to abortion and sexuality education, while others deprive women’s bodily autonomy completely by rolling back their right to comprehensive abortion services. This rollback is a threat to our fundamental values. When these basic human rights are challenged, it has grave repercussions for the health and lives of women, girls, LGBTIQ communities and other marginalized groups, as well as for our welfare and the societal prosperity. We therefore commit to advancing the right to bodily autonomy and the right to education and information, including access to comprehensive sexuality education for all. We commit to safeguard sexual and reproductive rights for all and maintain a role as a watchdog in Europe to ensure a push back against the rising anti-rights movements.
On this day, one year after Russia’s illegal and unwarranted invasion in Ukraine, we show our utmost solidarity with the people of Ukraine. We condemn with the strongest voice the widespread and systematic perpetration of sexual and gender-based violence against women by the Russian forces. We urge additional measures to ensure that those responsible for atrocities in Ukraine are held accountable. We firmly support all efforts to ensure that all Ukrainian women and girls, whether in their home country or on the move in neighboring European countries, have access to the full range of comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services.
Signed by:
- Danish all-party parliamentary network on sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Norwegian all-party-parliamentary-group on sexual and reproductive health and rights
- The Swedish cross party-parliamentary-group on sexual and reproductive health and rights
- Honourable Malin Björk, MEP, Sweden
- Honourable Karen Melchior, MEP, Denmark