| |
Public Hearing in European Parliament 29th January 2008 :: 2008-02-12 00:00 |
|
The Public Hearing on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights organized by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament was chaired by conservative MEP from Slovakia Anna Zaborska. The Hearing was proposed by the Polish MEP from Socialist Group of the EP – Lidia Geringer d’Oedenberg. Among five panelists, Wanda Nowicka from ASTRA spoke on Recent Trends regarding Sexual and Reproductive Rights in Central and Eastern Europe with Special Focus on Poland. She identified a number of negative developments which soon might lead to diminishing access to sexual and reproductive rights. Douglas A. Sylva from Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute in his presentation on SRHR presented critical and unsubstantiated view regarding international standards on SRHR. The representative of the European Commission (EC) in his statement from the floor confirmed all the commitments of the EC to internationally accepted SRHR, including the Cairo Programme of Action and its follow-up documents. The discussion following the panel was dominated by the voices of MEPs from new members states, particularly from Poland and Slovakia, many of which presented conservative views and anti-choice position. However, many MEPs that support SRHR were also present and made strong arguments, based on women and adolescent realities, supporting SRHR .
read more |
|
|
 |
 |
| |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Polish government to back IVF; bishops dismayed :: 2007-12-03 00:00 |
|
On 29th of November the Rzeczpospolita newspaper reported that the new Polish government will offer financial support for in – vitro fertilization (IVF).
Prime Minister Donald Tusk of the Civic Platform party, described IVF as “worthy of government support." Bishop Tadeusz Pieronek responded: “It is contrary to Church teaching…Regardless of the government’s decision, Catholic faithful are not free to disregard Church teaching.”
The government's support for IVF should not surprise Poland’s hierarchy. Tusk's Civic Platform party, which has close ties to Krakow’s Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, included support for IVF in its election platform.
read more |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
World AIDS Day – December 1, 2007 :: 2007-12-03 00:00 |
|
New report “AIDS epidemic update”, available on the UNAIDS website, provide the most recent estimates on AIDS epidemic showing that in many ASTRA countries HIV and AIDS are still a great problem that needs our consideration.
To give some examples, in Russian Federation the HIV epidemic continue to grow while in Ukraine the annual HIV diagnoses have more than doubled since the 2001. In Republic of Moldova more than half (59%) of HIV infections reported in 2006 were attributed to unprotected sexual transmission while in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania the most reported mode of HIV transmission is injecting drug use. In Georgia the annual number of newly registered HIV infections is rising each year. In Central Europe, especially in Poland and Romania the number of newly diagnosed HIV infections surpassed 100 in 2006.
To see the whole report visit the website.
read more |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
ASTRA's Petition to the European Parliament (15 Oct.2007) :: 2007-10-19 00:00 |
|
ASTRA Network has sent petition to the EU Petitions Committee for consideration of the issue of access to comprehensive sexuality education in EU Member States. Essentially, the petition presents background information on the benefits of comprehensive sex education and the harms of denying access to sex education and/or abstinence-only education, highlights EU official documents, statements, policies, and legislation which underscores the importance of sexuality education, and finally concludes that the EU has failed to uphold its own position on sexuality education. The petition asks the EU to take certain actions to address these violations.
Petition has been based on the following document: www.astra.org.pl/note_sexedu.pdf
Annex to the document: www.astra.org.pl/Annex.pdf read more |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
Youth Festival Focuses on Sexual and Reproductive Health :: 2007-10-04 00:00 |
|
Young people from the Southern Caucasus gathered in Batumi, Georgia, for a three-day festival to promote healthy lifestyles among their peers. The Festival was part of the European Commission/UNFPA regional project ‘Reproductive Health Initiative for Youth in the South Caucasus’ (RHIYC).
Read more here.read more |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
ALICJA TYSIAC FINALLY WON at the EUROPEAN COURT FOR HUMAN RIGHTS :: 2007-10-04 00:00 |
|
On 24 September the European Court for Human Rights adopted final decision regarding the case of Alicja Tysiac v Poland.
The Court rejected the appelation of the Polish Government and by doing so sustained its own decision of March 20th according to which Alicja Tysiac's right to privacy has been violated in Poland. The Court admitted that the State failed to secure her right to legal abortion to which she was entitled under present anti-abortion law.read more |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
