Debate: Sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women’s health
Date: WEDNESDAY, 23 JUNE 2021
Speaker: Helena Dalli
Language: EN

Sexual and reproductive health is integral to our general health. Sometimes sexual and reproductive health services are not considered as relevant or essential as other healthcare services. This is wrong. While healthcare, including sexual and reproductive healthcare, is a Member State responsibility, the Commission fully recognises every person’s fundamental right of access to healthcare as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the pillar of social rights. And we are always ready to support our Member States’ needs and actions here.  Gender inequalities can significantly affect sexual and reproductive health outcomes and undermine one’s sexual and reproductive health. Cost, availability and, in some cases, stigmatisation hamper access to services, especially for young people. Worse still, lack of access disproportionately affects particular groups of women and men. Most of the actions in the report concern Member States. However, in its gender equality strategy the Commission states its intention to facilitate regular exchanges of good practice between Member States and stakeholders on the gender aspects of health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.  High-quality sexual and reproductive health services are essential to both women and girls, as well as to men and boys. While often any reference to SRHR is quickly linked to abortion and people who think so and say so are wrong because sexual and reproductive rights go well beyond it and cover issues such as contraception, education and preventive treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, for instance, as well as fertility and sex-specific cancers.  Earlier this year in February I expressed my concern to you regarding recent pushbacks on women’s rights, especially their sexual and reproductive rights and the right to health in this respect. The EU has only complementary competence, as we all know, in public health matters, and Member States are competent for the definition of their health policy. Abortion legislation is therefore up to the Member State concerned. When exercising their competences Member States must respect the fundamental rights that bind them by virtue of their constitutions and commitments under international law. Too often, sexuality, an integral part of human life, remains a taboo in our societies. We need to avoid the personal constraints it triggers. As you rightly point out in your report, this starts with all children and young people having the right to receive comprehensive and reliable information about sexuality and health-related rights.  While it is the competence of the Member States, I believe that comprehensive sexuality education brings benefits that go far beyond information on biological science, reproduction and health risks associated with sexuality. It can be a powerful means of promoting respect for diversity and human and fundamental rights. It can help combat gender stereotypes, violence and abuse against children and women, as well as discrimination. This will counter the current trend of primary and secondary school children who, in the void of formal education on the topic, watch pornography as their own form of sex education, which totally distorts the image of an intimate relationship. And I must say that this reality is frightening and its consequences really are wreaking havoc on the lives of these especially young people.  So the report has a strong focus on gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation. In this context, next year we shall table a recommendation on the prevention of harmful practices. The recommendation also is expected to cover practices such as female genital mutilation and address better public services, prevention and support measures, capacity-building of professionals and victim-centred access to justice.  At the root of many gender inequalities are stereotypical beliefs and opinions on how men and women should behave in society. The Commission will launch an EU-wide communication campaign combating such gender stereotypes. It will tackle all spheres of life and focus on youth engagement in collaboration with Member States.  On top of the exchanges of good practice I mentioned earlier, the Commission provides full support to Member States’ efforts in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals relevant to women’s health, such as on universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education. The EU4Health programme is our main financial tool, supporting national health policies and gender equality, as well as rights and equal opportunities for all. The mainstreaming of those objectives is taken into account and promoted throughout the assessment, preparation, implementation and monitoring of the EU4Health programme.  The newly approved EU4Health annual work programme for 2021 includes several of your requests. Others are expected to follow in future annual work programmes. Grants worth EUR 1.2 million will support actions to improve access to human papillomavirus vaccination, and we will also put EUR 3.8 million into support for Member States to roll out large-scale human papillomavirus vaccination campaigns.  You also mentioned cancer screening. I can inform you that action grants worth EUR 2 million will support accreditation and certification of quality assurance schemes for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening programmes. A further EUR 2 million in action grants will be available for updating the European Cancer Information System to monitor and assess cancer screening programmes. The European Commission is committed to improving the health of European citizens of course. This commitment extends to sexual and reproductive health, which is an integral and essential element of our overall health.