Firewall gender equality from threats like anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration

Shobha Shukla *

Trump's earlier tenure as President of the United States was marred by the infamous jolt to abortion rights and broader sexual and reproductive health and rights. Within days after the 2024 election results point towards his imminent return as the President, anti-abortion and anti-rights agenda is menacingly on the rise once again, as per the recent news.

We must remember that all governments have promised to deliver on gender equality and human rights by endorsing a range of declarations, agreements and other commitments, including the legally-binding treaty CEDAW in 1979 (the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women), ICPD in 1994 (International Conference on Population and Development and its Programme of Action), Beijing Declaration in 1995 and its platform for action, UN Sustainable Development Goals in 2015, among others.

But anti-rights push of Geneva Consensus Declaration threatens to undo whatever-little progress has been made on gender equality and human rights. The Geneva Consensus Declaration takes an anti-rights stance against recognising abortion as a human right and aims to scuttle sexual and reproductive rights. United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned us last year that "on the current track, gender equality is projected to be 300 years away." Governments have promised to deliver on gender equality by 2030 as part of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

“When the PACT for the future was adopted at the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in September 2024, alarmingly over 30 countries have adopted it which are also signatories to the regressive and anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration,” said Menka Goundan, Programme Director, ARROW (Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women). She was speaking at the 2nd session of SHE & Rights (Sexual Health with Equity and Rights) co-organised by ARROW, IPPF, WGNRR and CNS.

Menka added: “Whilst the bigger winds like the PACT of the future adopted at the UNGA might come in, and we would be like ‘oh yeah! this is so progressive’ but we often do not underscore it against threats like Geneva Consensus Declaration which will impede the progressive implementation of the PACT for the Future, and other commitments we are making for gender equality and human rights."

“That is why we need to educate ourselves in terms of threats like Geneva Consensus Declaration. This Declaration is regressive and anti-abortion, and right winged (in terms of its framework) because it allows governments to hide under the principle of ‘sovereignty’ and to release these countries from their obligation to enact sexual and reproductive rights for women. So, it is a very slim move to regress when it comes to sexual and reproductive health and rights. We are failing to ensure that women have autonomy to make choices on their sexual and reproductive health” said Menka.

Conflicting policies

Kavutha Mutua, Advocate, High Court of Kenya and Founder-Director of The Legal Caravan said: “Most African countries have signed on to international human rights instruments which include the CEDAW of 1979, ICPD of 1994, Beijing Declaration of 1995, and the SDGs in 2015. All of them provide critical aspects on gender equality and women empowerment with a focus on safe abortion, access to contraceptives and comprehensive sexuality education. But contradicting policies, like Geneva Consensus Declaration, go against what is provided in local laws. For example, Kenya (whose constitution provides for the right to access abortion services) has signed on to the regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration - and there has been a campaign in African countries led by our respected First Ladies who are encouraging signing on to such declaration which goes against the provisions of our local laws. As Africa we need to prioritize the removal of legal and policy barriers towards access to safe abortion services and access to contraceptives.”

Safe abortion rights are critical to the progress of humankind

Dr Suchitra Dalvie, Co-Founder and Coordinator, Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP) said: “Safe abortion rights are critical to the progress of humankind because the inability to control fertility reduces womens' opportunities to access education, financial independence and overall well-being. It reduces capacity to exercise autonomy, agency and the ability to fulfil their highest potential. Criminalization does not reduce or stop abortions, rather it only reduces safe abortions.”

“The regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration is absolutely a conservative, authoritative and repressive attempt against the choice of women for their reproductive rights as it promotes no right to abortion. Ironically, Geneva Consensus Declaration is meant to be for the ‘women's health and gender equality’. However, it neither promotes the health rights of women nor includes any issues of people from sexual minorities. Geneva Consensus Declaration pushes against the international efforts to make safe abortion a human right, and calls for global health policies to focus on improving maternal health without prioritizing abortion,” said Tushar Niroula, Executive Director, MSI (Marie Stopes International) Nepal.

“Nepal has got a very progressive safe abortion law in the country, but the consequences of Geneva consensus declaration can pose a threat and have a very negative impact, even though Nepal is not a signatory to the Geneva Consensus Declaration. However, there is a rise in anti-abortion groups promoting pro-life which may further fuel anti-abortion movements of conservative forces within Nepal, especially among the religious organizations or individuals,” added Niroula.

Rise of global anti-rights movements is threatening SRHR

Dr Rathnamala M Desai, Member, Board of Trustees, International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) and President, Family Planning Association of India (FPA India) said that “Now a transnational anti-rights movement is gaining further political, social and economic legitimacy- historically targeting abortion rights. Various coalitions of nationalist religious and ultra-conservative actors and organisations have become emboldened to attack gender equality and sexuality more broadly in pursuit of a regressive social and political agenda. The rise of a global anti-rights movement is threatening sexual and reproductive health and rights as well as liberal democracies and the civil liberties and human rights of all.”

Tushar Niroula of MSI Nepal says: “We cannot be complacent in countries where we have a progressive safe abortion law because attempts like Geneva Consensus Declaration will encourage anti-abortion movements and active opposition from religious groups, which may potentially lead to the rollback of safe abortion laws. 28 out of 36 countries within MSI Network have reported active opposition against sexual and reproductive health and rights in the last two years. 8 country programmes in MSI Network reported direct attack from anti-abortion pro-life groups and many more reported attacks from local organizations. Regressive activities like Geneva Consensus Declaration can create a barrier to access safe abortion services, which could lead to an increase in unsafe abortions resulting in high maternal morbidity and mortality.”

Agrees Dr Dalvie of ASAP: “We must be very involved in strategizing to mitigate the risks that could be posed by regressive Geneva Consensus Declaration to whatever progress has happened on gender equality and human rights. Even in countries where we have the abortion law there is still potential for it to be taken away as we have seen with the example of the United States.”

Gender justice is vital cog-in-the-wheel for SDGs

Gender justice remains the essential and critical cog-in-the-wheel to advance progress on all goals and targets enshrined in the UN Sustainable Development Goals for 2030. Health justice, economic justice, redistributive justice, social justice, climate justice, gender justice and accountability to peoples are essential and interdependent pillars of development justice.

While on the larger level, political agendas have to be rooted in gender and development justice where "no one is truly left behind" yet at an individual level too we have to dismantle harmful gender stereotypes and norms. Harmful narrative for gender inequality is regressive and so is the rise of anti-rights movements worldwide.

The year 2025 will mark 30 years since Beijing Declaration and its Platform for Action were adopted in 1995. Beijing+30 intergovernmental review processes are being held in Africa (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) and later this month in Asia and the Pacific region.