This paper surveys the legal implications of religious doctrines at they relate to the universal acceptance of reproductive rights. While the use of human rights to advance reproductive health has gained momentum over the last several decades, the variance in arranging religion and state relations and the significant impact religious institutions have over the substantive rights to reproductive freedom in many parts of the world necessitates a break from considering reproductive rights as a strictly secular issue. Using Israel, Poland and Indonesia as examples, this paper will explain how an understanding of the doctrines underlying major world religions is a crucial step towards recognizing how reproductive rights and freedoms can be advanced in a world where laws and policies are informed by both the sacred and the secular.

This paper surveys the legal implications of religious doctrines at they relate to the universal acceptance of reproductive rights. While the use of human rights to advance reproductive health has gained momentum over the last several decades, the variance in arranging religion and state relations and the significant impact religious institutions have over the substantive rights to reproductive freedom in many parts of the world necessitates a break from considering reproductive rights as a strictly secular issue. Using Israel, Poland and Indonesia as examples, this paper will explain how an understanding of the doctrines underlying major world religions is a crucial step towards recognizing how reproductive rights and freedoms can be advanced in a world where laws and policies are informed by both the sacred and the secular.

ABSTRACT Most of the documented benefits of contraceptive service lack in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of service users. This study of contraceptive users in the Sidama Zone, Southern Region, Ethiopia; was conducted with the aim of improving the overall understanding of contraceptive use towards women’s health and empowerment. This knowledge enables alignment of contraceptive service provision with the International Conference on Population Development declaration of rights-based approach. The study employed a mixed method design. The quantitative aspects include use of a descriptive retrospective approach to generate a five year snapshot contraceptive use from health institutions. Percentages were used to compute the contraceptive prevalence in the last five years. The bulk of the study was a qualitative design using interpretive phenomenology- guided by a Heideggerian approach. Data were collected using key informant interviews, focus group discussions and individual in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed using an interpretive phenomenological analysis with hermeneutic circle approach. Results were presented in broad themes following the study questions. The findings of the study indicated that contraceptive use in the study area is steadily improving. In 2008 contraceptive prevalence was twenty- five percent and after five years, it reached forty- two percent. Injectable contraceptive is the leading method, with nearly three-fourth of current users on this method. Recently, every health post offers at least one long acting and two short acting methods. The qualitative finding revealed that women’s experiences regarding the benefits of contraceptive use is encouraging. Women explicated that contraceptive service is an emancipatory and transformative experiences for them as it enabled them to control their bodies, reproduction and fertility by averting unwanted pregnancy thereby engaging in various socio-economic, religious, and political affairs. Controlled fertility gave them more time to plan their livelihood issues. The study’s title, a participant quote, captures the sentiment well: “we got peace, rest and stability”. The study finding further revealed the unique contributions of the health extension program in improving access and convenience to contraceptive service by removing many cultural, gender, and linguistic barriers. The study concludes that contraceptive service pattern has improved greatly in access and coverage; however, the majority of current users are merely on a single method indicating gaps in expanding contraceptive method mix. Women’s experiences about internalizing contraceptive use benefits towards their empowerment and health are encouraging in that they wholeheartedly expressed that the service is emancipatory and transformative. However, there are grey areas from the perspectives of ensuring support from men and dominant community members such as elders. Moreover, there is observed disconnect in conceptualizing and practicing contraceptive service provision from a broader human rights premises among health care workers across the service delivery hierarchy. The research recommends the establishment of smooth and functional mechanisms to ensure all stakeholders involved in service provision develop a shared understanding about the human rights rationale and practice while providing contraceptive service. More efforts are needed to ensure sustainable contraceptive service use by removing the existing cultural and gender barriers. Efforts should be amplified to increase men’s involvement in the reproductive services. Further study is recommended to investigate the nature and factors that influence the incorporation of human rights rationale across the health care system.

No description available.

Honors Project--Smith College, Northampton, Mass., 2010. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 99-106).

acase@tulane.edu / 1 / Lindsay Bartlett

My honors capstone project deals with the issues of reproductive rights and onscreen representations of women. I created a performance-based documentary style piece entitled Talk Over Me. It focuses on men’s opinions and stories surrounding abortion and conveys the disconnect between a woman’s face on screen and her opinions, thoughts and personal identity.

Thesis (LL.M.). / Written for the Faculty of Law. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2009/06/17). Includes bibliographical references.

This thesis seeks to understand the various forces that have shaped the form, content, utilization and emergence of abortion narratives--both within a historical context and for political value. By comparing the themes that emerge within and across three sets of narratives--anti-abortion narratives, pre-Roe narratives that support abortion rights, and post-Roe abortion-rights narratives--and by identifying both gaps and influxes in the use of narratives, this thesis argues that the content and utilization of abortion narratives is directly connected to broader discursive strategies and political ideologies of reproductive rights organizations.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Auburn University, 2009. / Abstract. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (p. 215-232).