KNOW YOUR RIGHTS
Women’s rights are human rights, because women are human too. The
last century has seen a long struggle, around the world, for legal
recognition of that basic fact.
last century has seen a long struggle, around the world, for legal
recognition of that basic fact.
WHAT IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT?There are four key types of basic rights that
contribute to the human rights framework. |
The human rights framework is a valuable tool for understanding the global problem of maternal mortality, morbidity, and perinatal mortality, and the obligations of governments to provide maternity care that is accessible and affordable to all citizens.
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LIFEThe right to life is the right on which all other rights depend. It imposes on the State an obligation not only to refrain from threatening or killing people, but also to promote the conditions necessary for survival.
Photo by: Alex Pasarelu |
HEALTHThe human right to health means that every person should be able to access affordable healthcare necessary to maintain health and well-being.
Photo by: Tanja Heffner |
PRIVACY
The right to privacy protects every person’s ability to make personal decisions about sexuality, reproduction, and the family without government interference. Photo by: Laura Fuhrman |
EQUAL TREATMENT
All people are entitled to exercise the full range of human rights, without facing different treatment on the basis of personal characteristics. Photo by: Theodore Goutas |
WHAT IS A SPECIFIC MEDICAL RIGHT?You “own” your body and have the power to make all of the decisions about what will be done to it.
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When a patient hires or consults with a doctor, the doctor can assess the client’s condition and file, and make a recommendation. The patient has a right to consider the doctor’s recommendation, including an offer of surgery or another intervention, and say “Yes” or “No.”
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MEDICAL REFUSAL
The human right to refuse medical treatment means that the patient is the legal authority in decisions about their care. Photo by: Eddie Kopp |
INFORMED CONSENT
The right to informed consent is a fundamental healthcare right grounded, like the right of refusal, in the right of every human being to autonomy and authority over their own body. Photo by: Bich Ngoc Le |
