Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to overturn Roe v. Wade, taking away federal abortion protections and paving the way for states to ban abortion outright. In Chile, a victim of forced sterilization was finally granted the apology she deserved from the state. A new report reveals the positive impact on the delivery of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services in Uganda’s refugee settlements through a pilot program by the Center for Reproductive Rights in partnership with CARE International in Uganda. And lastly, read about the Philippines' failure to meet UN standards for reproductive health care.

United States

U.S. Supreme Court Takes Away Constitutional Right to Abortion

Following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision overturning Roe v. Wade last month, states are rushing to ban abortion, leaving people without access to essential health care. Half the states in the country are expected to ban abortion entirely in the days and weeks to come. As states rush to enforce bans, the Center and its partners are actively working to block them.

By explicitly overturning Roe, the Supreme Court has removed the federal abortion protections that people have relied on for generations.

Latin America and Caribbean

President of Chile Apologizes to Francisca for Forced Sterilization

The president of Chile issued a public apology to the Center’s client, Francisca, an HIV-positive woman who was forcibly sterilized in a Chilean hospital after giving birth. After a decade of litigation by the Center and its partner, in 2021 the government of Chile agreed to provide full reparations to Francisca and her son and to end forced sterilization practices.

Africa

Pilot Program in Uganda Improves Delivery of SRHR Services

A new report outlines how a pilot program implemented by the Center in partnership with CARE International in Uganda successfully improved the delivery of sexual and reproductive health and rights services at one of Uganda’s largest refugee settlements. This innovative program combined a human rights-based approach with community-led mechanisms to establish an accountability system for SRHR violations.

Asia

The Philippines Fails to Provide Adequate SRHR Access Per UN Recommendations

In 2017, the Philippine government accepted recommendations by the United Nations Human Rights Council to improve access to contraception, maternal health care, abortion, and more. In a new submission to the UN, the Center and its partners found that the country has failed to protect SRHR and provided recommendations for how to improve access to care.

"Francisca is one of many women living with HIV who have been discriminated against while seeking out health services. I want to reinforce that States have a profound obligation to guarantee and respect the rights of this population, including the duty to ensure free, prior, and informed consent."

—Enid Muthoni Ndiga, Chief Program Officer at the Center for Reproductive Rights