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Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 8
- Paragraph text
- Various criminal laws exist worldwide that make it an offence for individuals to engage in same-sex conduct, or penalize individuals for their sexual orientation or gender identity. For example, consensual same-sex conduct is a criminal offence in about 80 countries. Other laws also indirectly prohibit or suppress same-sex conduct, such as anti-debauchery statutes and prohibitions on sex work. Many States also regulate extra-marital sexual conduct through criminal or financial sanctions, which affects individuals who identify as heterosexual but intermittently engage in same-sex conduct. These laws also have a significant impact on individuals engaging in sexual conduct with members of the opposite sex outside of marriage, particularly women, although this is outside the scope of this report.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Women
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 27
- Paragraph text
- Sex workers remain subject to stigma and marginalization, and are at significant risk of experiencing violence in the course of their work, often as a result of criminalization. As with other criminalized practices, the sex-work sector invariably restructures itself so that those involved may evade punishment. In doing so, access to health services is impeded and occupational risk increases. Basic rights afforded to other workers are also denied to sex workers because of criminalization, as illegal work does not afford the protections that legal work requires, such as occupational health and safety standards.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 28
- Paragraph text
- The Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) defines sex workers as "female, male and transgender adults and young people who receive money or goods in exchange for sexual services, either regularly or occasionally, and who may or may not consciously define those activities as income-generating". It is noted, however, that no single term adequately covers the range of transactions worldwide that involve sex work (the term "sex worker" is increasingly used within the sector, as it is considered less stigmatizing and a better descriptor of workers' experiences than the word "prostitute").
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Youth
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health and criminalization of same-sex conduct and sexual orientation, sex-work and HIV transmission 2010, para. 42
- Paragraph text
- The criminalization of sex work often means that sex workers feel unable to enforce their basic rights, as their status and work are illegal. They "live in fear" of police and clients, and feel unable to report crimes against them due to fear of arrest. Sex workers have reported that they are highly vulnerable to police harassment, particularly in the forms of (a) sex by deception and coercion, (b) extortion and (c) discrimination (including moral punishment, public humiliation and extreme violence driven by contempt). Policing has also been noted as a key issue in shaping the vulnerability of sex workers to HIV.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2010
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 58
- Paragraph text
- The International Guidelines on Sexuality Education of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) describe optimal sexual education as "an age-appropriate, culturally sensitive and comprehensive approach … that include programmes providing scientifically accurate, realistic, non-judgmental information". Moreover, comprehensive sexual and reproductive health education and information should provide "opportunities to explore one's own values and attitudes and to build decision-making, communication, and risk reduction skills about all aspects of sexuality". The Special Rapporteur on the right to education has further emphasized that a comprehensive curriculum requires sensitivity to sexual diversity and a gendered perspective (see A/65/162, para. 23).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Education
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- The global unmet need for family planning remains a significant barrier to achieving rights-related and development goals. WHO estimates that 200 million couples in developing countries would like to delay or stop childbearing but are not using any method of contraception. In 2009, 24 per cent of women of reproductive age in the least developed countries, who were married or in a union, reported not wanting any more children or wanting to delay the birth of their next child. Reasons for the global unmet need included limited access to contraception; limited choice of contraceptive methods; fear or experience of side-effects; cultural or religious opposition; poor quality of available services; and gender-based barriers.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Criminalisation of sexual and reproductive health 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Family planning allows women to choose whether and when to reproduce and is thus integral to development and the full participation of women in society. In parts of sub-Saharan Africa, contraceptive use is four times higher among women with a secondary education than among those with no education, and is almost four times higher among women in the richest households than those in the poorest households. One cross-national survey suggests that the percentage of women in the labour force is directly related to national birth rates. Strong links have also been observed between contraception use by women and opportunities to work outside of the home; in one country, the average income growth for women with one to three pregnancies was twice that of women who had been pregnant more than seven times.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to health and development 2011, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- In 1987, the landmark study by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) "Adjustment with a Human Face" spurred global debate on the negative social impacts, including on health, of structural adjustment programmes prescribed by the international financial institutions as a means to achieve economic development. Three years later, in 1990, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) published the first Human Development Report. Alongside the report, UNDP created the Human Development Index, a summary measure of various human development indicators, such as maternal mortality, childhood education, gender disparities, poverty, etc. The index and report represented a major progression in development theory, which aimed to "[put] people back at the center of the development process" by going beyond income to assess people's long-term well-being. This broader and holistic reconceptualization of development has been increasingly favoured and has facilitated efforts to recognize and incorporate human rights in development work.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to health and development 2011, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- Of the eight Millennium Development Goals subsequently developed to reflect the objectives agreed upon in the Millennium Declaration in 2000, Goals 4, 5 and 6 deal with health directly and others deals with underlying determinants of health. At least 8 of the 16 MDG targets, and 17 of the 48 related indicators, are health-related. As the MDGs have become a major focus of health-related development work, it was an important step for these goals to place health at the very centre of the development enterprise. Moreover, at the 2010 high-level plenary meeting of the General Assembly, States committed to promoting global public health for all to achieve the MDGs and to ensure "respect for human rights, promote gender equality and the empowerment of women as essential means of addressing the health of women and girls, and to address the stigmatization of people living with and affected by HIV and AIDS". The normative framework that is now well developed and understood for the right to health is well placed to inform the efforts towards achieving the MDGs.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The right to health and development 2011, para. 47
- Paragraph text
- Similarly, the experience of the UNIFEM South Asia Partnership with the Positive Women Network (PWN+) and Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR) is a good example of how a rights-based, gender-sensitive response to HIV added significant value to pre-existing programming strategies in this area. The PWN+ has over 5,000 members throughout India, and works to support women living with HIV/AIDS by destigmatizing the illness; educating affected women; and establishing support, referral and empowerment systems. The partnerships' activities included initiation of national consultations of HIV-positive women; establishment of partnerships to support research, advocacy and lobbying; documentation of the experiences of HIV-positive women; engagement with the media around gender-sensitive reporting concerning HIV; creation of mechanisms of accountability through public hearings; and formulation of targeted strategies to address the vulnerability of women to HIV/AIDS at national and international levels.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 29
- Paragraph text
- Older women are often more disadvantaged because they may suffer from a combination of both gender and age discrimination. Ageing women make up a significant proportion of the world's population, with the majority of older women living in developing countries. A number of life-course events adversely affect the health of women in older age, including discrimination against infant girls in the provision of food and care, barriers to education, low incomes and poorer access to decent work, care-giving responsibilities as mothers and wives, domestic violence (during childhood, adulthood and elder abuse), widowhood, and cultural traditions and attitudes towards health care. Lower incomes, disruptions to work due to family responsibilities, and discrimination in access to the labour force during women's working life mean that women often have less retirement savings and are therefore more financially vulnerable in older age.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Economic Rights
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Girls
- Older persons
- Women
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
The realization of the right to health of older persons 2011, para. 9
- Paragraph text
- However, the ageing world's most important challenge is to ensure the enjoyment of human rights of older persons. It is critical that measures be put in place to eradicate discrimination and exclusion of older persons and to ensure access to services according to their needs. In a statement marking the International Day of Older Persons, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Ms. Navi Pillay, pointed to the urgent need for better legal protection of older persons, a growing sector of society that is often most vulnerable and neglected, and she emphasized that "the human rights community has been slow in realizing that the global agenda and the advocacy efforts at the national level can no longer ignore the rights of older persons".
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Older persons
- Year
- 2011
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Occupational health 2012, para. 44
- Paragraph text
- The duty of States to minimize hazards in the workplace includes both physical and psychosocial hazards. There is a growing body of evidence linking psychosocial hazards, such as stress and work overload, with psychological disorders such as anxiety, depression and burnout, and physical conditions such as cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders, gastro-intestinal disorders and impaired immune competence. Ongoing reports linking high rates of attempted and completed suicide amongst workers in the technology industry with requirements to work extremely long hours are of particular concern.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- All
- Year
- 2012
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in conflict situations 2013, para. 43
- Paragraph text
- Conflict may aggravate women's vulnerability to ill-health, discrimination and gender-based violence. Women often experience higher incidence of poor health outcomes in conflict owing to their physical and reproductive needs during pregnancy and childbirth. Most maternal deaths in conflict occur during delivery or in the immediate post-partum period due to lack of availability of quality reproductive and maternal care, such as family planning, emergency obstetric services, and pre- and post-natal care. Women in conflict situations are more likely to turn to unsafe abortion services when facing an unplanned pregnancy.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Person(s) affected
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant worker’s right to health 2013, para. 59
- Paragraph text
- The possibility of arrest, detention and deportation due to immigration status further discourages access to health facilities, goods and services, particularly for transgender sex workers who may face severe discrimination and abuse in their home country. Health needs of migrant sex workers are poorly understood in many countries, resulting in policies that fail to address their needs and vitiate the right to health. For example, possession of a condom as evidence of sex work-related criminality actively deters migrant sex workers from carrying condoms, which results in risky sexual behaviour and exposure to HIV and other sexually transmitted infections.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- LGBTQI+
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant worker’s right to health 2013, para. 65
- Paragraph text
- Migrant workers in 3D jobs, face occupational risk as an additional stress factor, while exposure to pesticides has been linked to anxiety, depression, irritability and restlessness in agricultural workers. For domestic workers, isolation and psychological trauma caused by abuse are occupational risks, and suicide has been associated with harsh working conditions of migrant construction workers. Effective implementation and enforcement of labour and occupational health and safety laws can contribute to reducing the risk of mental illness as well as physical injury.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Migrant worker’s right to health 2013, para. 70
- Paragraph text
- States should undertake a gender analysis to identify and address health vulnerabilities of female migrant workers resulting from different biological and sociocultural factors that influence their health. Women comprise a significant percentage of migrant workers but often face greater health vulnerabilities due to gender inequalities. Poverty, family responsibilities and barriers to education and information make women more vulnerable before departing; while violence against women is pervasive during transit in some regions. Systematic exploitation and abuse within informal industries dominated by migrant women, such as domestic work and sex work, stems from and reinforces women's vulnerability during the migration process.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Movement
- Person(s) affected
- Persons on the move
- Women
- Year
- 2013
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Unhealthy foods, non-communicable diseases and the right to health 2014, para. 39
- Paragraph text
- Unhealthy foods are commonly marketed in gendered ways, perpetuating traditional and unequal gender dynamics to the disadvantage of women. Despite the increase in dual-income or female-breadwinner households, women still bear a disproportionate share of household duties, particularly in preparing meals. This leads to the increased consumption of highly-processed convenience foods, as women have less time but are still expected to be responsible for food provision. Food advertisements often target women about providing cooked meals for their children or by offering aspirational products that are "improved" over traditional diets.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Food & Nutrition
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2014
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 80
- Paragraph text
- International human rights law places particular emphasis on the responsibility of States to address discrimination against women and girls and ensure that they enjoy their rights on the basis of equality with men and boys. Among other actions, States must ensure that national law provides a robust framework for gender equality and non-discrimination. In the context of early child development, policies and programmes must pay particular attention to redressing discrimination and to equality. For example, parenting programmes should be gender sensitive and States should make particular efforts to address any discrepancy in educational attainment between girls and boys.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Boys
- Children
- Girls
- Men
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health in early childhood - Right to survival and development 2015, para. 84
- Paragraph text
- Intersex refers mainly to physical aspects of the body and includes a wide range of natural body variations that do not conform to prevailing notions of male and female bodies. Deeply rooted stereotypes around gender dichotomy and medical norms about male and female bodies have led to the establishment of a medical practice of routine interventions and surgeries on intersex people, including irreversible genital surgery and sterilization. These interventions are not always necessary on medical grounds and are often not performed with the informed consent of the persons concerned. Moreover, medical classifications currently codify intersex characteristics as pathologies or disorders.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 35
- Paragraph text
- The Special Rapporteur will continue applying a gender perspective in his work, with a special focus on sexual and reproductive health and rights as an integral part of the right to health. He will apply a life-cycle approach to his work, paying special attention to the needs of the children and adolescents in the realization of the right to health, and the needs of other groups in vulnerable situations, including persons with disabilities. He will continue paying attention to the issue of access to medicines, including access to essential and controlled medicines, and its human rights dimensions.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Persons with disabilities
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 46
- Paragraph text
- There are good health practices worldwide that emerge when culturally and socially appropriate programmes are used, involving and empowering individuals, families and communities. These practices challenge traditional barriers between health, education, social welfare and other sectors. For example, effective programmes can be developed to enable community support for preventing violence, particularly violence against women and domestic violence. Community-based initiatives and neighbourhood prevention activities can also be designed to provide education for first-time parents, focusing on child-parent relationships. Support to family planning activities can be put in place to prevent early or unwanted pregnancies through the provision of comprehensive sexuality education and information, and by providing access to a varied range of contraception methods.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Families
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Work of the mandate and priorities of the SR 2015, para. 102
- Paragraph text
- It was not until the end of the twentieth century that the close link between violence and health began to be sufficiently understood. Interestingly, as health and human rights came closer, a similar tendency could be observed by the turn of century when violence was finally seen as a public health concern. In 1996, the World Health Assembly declared violence as "a leading worldwide public health problem". Since then, the burden of violence has been documented and the effectiveness of programmes, with particular attention devoted to women and children and community-based initiatives, has been assessed.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2015
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 4
- Paragraph text
- The 2030 Agenda builds on the United Nations Millennium Declaration, adopted at the start of the new millennium and concluded in 2015. The policy objectives of the Millennium Declaration and the Millennium Development Goals focused on improved human development outcomes in health, education, poverty and gender equality in low-income countries (A/59/422, paras. 8-13). That agenda received unprecedented attention from the international community, funding priorities and international relations throughout its 15 years. The 2030 Agenda inherits that strategic space and will be a powerful policy tool influencing international and domestic development agendas through the second and third decades of the millennium.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Governance & Rule of Law
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 7
- Paragraph text
- Almost all of the 17 Goals have a linkage with health, and many are important underlying determinants of health, including: Poverty eradication (Goal 1) Food security and nutrition (Goal 2) Inclusive and equitable quality education (Goal 4) Gender equality (Goal 5) Sustainable water and sanitation (Goal 6) Reducing inequalities within and between countries (Goal 10) Making cities and settlements safe (Goal 11) Climate change and access to energy (Goal 13) Peaceful and inclusive societies, access to justice and inclusive and accountable institutions (Goal 16) Global partnerships (Goal 17)
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 19
- Paragraph text
- The right to health encompasses the underlying determinants of health, including its social and psychosocial determinants. The Sustainable Development Goals address many of these underlying determinants, from specific right-to-health entitlements found in the targets of Goal 3, such as road safety, harmful alcohol and tobacco use and environmental pollution, as well as other Goals and targets, including on clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), education (Goal 4), food (Goal 2), decent work (Goal 8), reducing inequalities (Goal 10), gender equality (Goal 5), poverty reduction (Goal 1), climate change and access to energy (Goal 13), peace, justice and strong institutions (Goal 16) and violence (targets 5.2, 16.1 and 16.2).
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Water & Sanitation
- Person(s) affected
- All
- N.A.
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Report of the SR on the right to health and Agenda 2030 2016, para. 95
- Paragraph text
- A holistic approach to addressing violence is consistent with the aim of collectively implementing the Sustainable Development Goal targets on violence across the agenda. It is also consonant with the indivisible and interrelated nature of human rights. From a human rights and public health perspective, violence must be addressed comprehensively, including obligations to eliminate violence within health-care settings, to address how structural factors, such as laws and policies, institutionalize violence and to eliminate violence against women and children. The right to health also includes an entitlement to safe access to health care and to a safe environment. Importantly, children and adolescents have a right to be free from violence and to healthy development.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Gender
- Health
- Violence
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Women
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 12
- Paragraph text
- The transition towards adulthood is characterized by the changing nature of relationships. Across cultures, adolescents begin to attach far greater significance to and are increasingly influenced by their peer group and less by family and caregivers. Adolescents also begin to explore their sexuality, sexual orientation and gender identity. There is considerable diversity in combinations of gender identities, expression and sexual orientation, irrespective of whether such diversity is culturally accepted. It is increasingly clear that sexual orientation and gender identity derive from a complex interplay of biological, genetic and social factors and that individuals have little or no choice in its determination.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 14
- Paragraph text
- Although opportunities for adolescents in many parts of the world have improved in recent years, the second decade of life is associated with exposure to increasing risks to the right to health, including violence, abuse, sexual or economic exploitation, trafficking, harmful traditional practices, migration, radicalization, recruitment into gangs or militias, self-harm, substance use and dependence and obesity. Gender inequalities become more significant as, for example, girls become exposed to child marriage, sexual violence and lower levels of enrolment in secondary education. The world in which adolescents live poses profound challenges, including poverty and inequality, climate change and environmental degradation, urbanization and migration, radical changes in employment potential, aging societies, rising health-care costs and escalating humanitarian and security crises.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Environment
- Gender
- Health
- Humanitarian
- Movement
- Poverty
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Children
- Girls
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph
Right to health of adolescents 2016, para. 15
- Paragraph text
- States policies towards adolescents are too often characterized by targeted or punitive interventions aimed at addressing problems such as juvenile delinquency and violence, as well as perceived challenges, including substance use and sexual activity; too little attention is typically paid to building positive environments in which adolescents can thrive. Punitive and excessively biomedical interventions ignore the powerful social and economic determinants influencing adolescent behaviour, opportunities and well-being. Stigmatizing, demonizing and discriminating against adolescents by, for example, criminalizing or pathologizing their behaviours and diversities, negatively affects their socially perceived roles, self-esteem, well-being and sense of empowerment. These approaches fail adolescents, their holistic development and their right to health.
- Body
- Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health
- Document type
- Special Procedures' report
- Topic(s)
- Equality & Inclusion
- Gender
- Health
- Person(s) affected
- Adolescents
- Year
- 2016
- Date added
- Aug 19, 2019
Paragraph