In December 2021 the United States hosted a virtual Summit for Democracy, bringing together leaders from government, civil society, and the private sector to discuss challenges and opportunities facing democracies and to make commitments to defend democracy and human rights at home and abroad. The Summit kicked off a year of action and opportunities for engagement, which will culminate with a second, in-person Summit to showcase progress and plan a path forward.

During this year of action, the Global Justice Center and Fòs Feminista are hosting a series of events highlighting the ways in which governments’ commitments to advancing the sexual and reproductive health and rights of people all around the globe is a key indicator of the strength and health of vibrant democracies that respect the human rights of all people. This panel is the second in the series and will take place during the 66th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), with the priority theme of achieving gender equality in the context of climate change.

The panel will highlight connections between current global challenges, including climate change, conflict, and the rise of authoritarianism, and the role of sexual and reproductive health and rights. It will provide an opportunity to hear from leading experts on the role of sexual and reproductive rights in democracies, the relationship between authoritarian governments and control of bodily autonomy, challenges facing the international human rights framework and multilateral spaces including the United Nations, the anti-rights Geneva Consensus Declaration, shifting the conversation on climate policies, and how states can realize their commitment to sexual and reproductive health and rights at home and abroad.

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