about ipas
newsroom
what we do
where we work
products
publications
contact

March 4, 2005
Mother and two children
The 1995 Beijing Platform for Action called on nations to improve women’s access to health care, education and economic development.
Photo courtesy of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation.

The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) is meeting this week in New York to review the implementation of the 1995 Beijing Platform for Action from the Fourth World Conference on Women. The 10-year old agreement called on nations to address gender inequality, and improve women’s access to health care, education and economic development.

The international agreement was the second to recognize the public health threat posed by unsafe abortion, following the following the 1994 Cairo Programme of Action, and called on nations to make abortion safe where it was legal. In an advance for reproductive rights, however, it also called on nations to review laws that punished women for seeking an abortion.

Although the Platform for Action addresses a broad range of issues that affect women, during the first week of the two-week meeting, the United States homed in on the abortion language. In a move that threatened to derail the meeting, the United States attempted to push through language in the political declaration reaffirming Beijing. This potential change in language would deny women the right to safe abortion.

Fortunately, other nations refused to compromise the 1995 consensus, and the United States was forced to drop its proposal. Barbara Crane, executive vice president of Ipas, responded to the U.S. decision:

“We are pleased that the global consensus for women’s health remains firm, and that the United States has backed down. The United States has exploited this important international meeting to spread misinformation and stigmatize abortion, at a time when other nations are taking steps to decriminalize abortion.

“The United States should stop using its superpower status and role as a donor to interfere in the sovereignty of other nations. It’s time for the international community to get on with the work of saving women’s lives and health, beginning with the Beijing agreement to review laws that punish women who seek abortions, and address the root causes of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortion.”

With the U.S. amendments withdrawn, the CSW expects to release a declaration reaffirming the Platform for Action the evening of Friday, March 4th.

For more information, contact:
Kirsten Sherk
Senior Associate, Media Relations
e-mail: sherkk@ipas.org
phone: 919.960.5612
fax: 919.929.0258