“Solidarity does not assume that our

struggles are the same struggles, or

that our pain is the same pain, or
that our hope is for the same future.

Solidarity involves commitment, and

work, as well as the recognition that
even if we do not have the same
feelings, or the same lives, or the
same bodies, we do live on common
ground.” –Sara Ahmed

Photo: Japan Times

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX..RHR
Joel Mark Barredo, Programme Director, SHAPE-SEA
ESTABLISHING
POSITIONALITIES
Feminist Inquiry: Reflexive
identification and interrogation of our
condition, identities, privileges and
systems

Who Am I?
 Gay Scholar, Human Rights
Defender, Migrant Living in Thailand
What is my understanding of Human
Rights?
What has been my lived experience of
COVID-19 so far?
– Vaccinated, living in a High-Risk Country
 Strengthening Human Rights and Peace Research Education in
ASEAN/Southeast Asia (SHAPE-SEA)

a collaboration program between ASEAN University Network-

Human Rights Education Theme (AUN-HRE) and the Southeast
Asian Human Rights Studies Network (SEAHRN)

Overall Aim: To contribute to the improvement of the human rights

and peace in ASEAN/ Southeast Asia through applied research,
capacity building, policy advocacy and education.
It focuses on supporting research on innovative and critical projects
on human rights and peace, and in exploring ways in which this
knowledge is made accessible to university students throughout
ASEAN/SEA through human rights and peace research
education, and policy advocacy
Supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation
Agency (SIDA), and the Norwegian Centre for Human Rights
(NCHR)
LEVELLING OFF

How much to do you care about your body?

What rights should you have in

What choices should you be making?

What are the

cultural/social/economic/political conditions
that affect your choices/rights?
WHAT IS SRHR
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR)
Taken together, sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) can be
understood as the right for all, whether young or old, women, men or
transgender, straight, gay, lesbian or bisexual, HIV positive or negative, to
make choices regarding their own sexuality and reproduction, providing they
respect the rights of others to bodily integrity. This definition also includes the
right to access information and services needed to support these choices and
optimize health. 
Source: UNICEF, UNFPA, UNDP, UN Women. “
Gender Equality, UN Coherence and You”.
REPRODUCTIVE AND SEXUAL RIGHTS
Reproductive rights
Reproductive rights rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and
individuals to decide freely and responsibly the number, spacing and timing of their
children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the
highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. They also include the right of all to
make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.
Source: United Nations (2014) 
Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development,
para 7.3. 

Sexual rights
Sexual rights embrace human rights that are already recognized in national laws,
international human rights documents and other consensus documents. These include
the right of all persons, free of coercion, discrimination and violence, to: the highest
attainable standard of health in relation to sexuality, including access to sexual and
reproductive health care services; seek, receive and impart information in relation to
sexuality; sexuality education; respect for bodily integrity; choice of partner; decide to
be sexually active or not; consensual sexual relations; consensual marriage; decide
whether or not, and when to have children; and pursue a satisfying, safe and
pleasurable sexual life.
Source: World Health Organization, Gender and human rights.
WHAT IS/WHY SRHR?
• Universal access to SRHR was first promulgated in 1994 at the
International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in
Cairo, Egypt, where the United States joined more than 170
countries in support of an agenda to advance SRHR globally.
• To understand sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is
to understand gender equality. When women’s and girls’ SRHR are
respected, protected, and honored, they can:
Live free from sexual violence
Choose if and when to have sexual relationships and with
whom
Choose if and when they marry and who they marry
Choose if, when, and under what circumstances they have
children
Attend school and choose for their children to attend school
Engage in political processes and public life
Have greater economic participation
WHAT IS/WHY SRHR?
CONTEXT IN THE ASEAN REGION
 Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is for
everyone. However, governments still find these
sensitive, and to a certain degree a taboo issue
 Socio-Political Scenario:
 Authoritarianism
 Right Wing Populism
 Misogyny

 Harmful Traditional Values and Beliefs

CONTEXT IN THE ASEAN REGION
 Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights is for
everyone. However, governments still find these
sensitive, and to a certain degree a taboo issue
 Socio-Political Scenario:
 Authoritarianism
 Right Wing Populism
 Misogyny

 Harmful Traditional Values and Beliefs

CONTEXT IN THE ASEAN REGION

Sensitive yet Sensitive:

Acceptec: Comprehensive Taboo: Safe and
Gender based Sexual Legal Abortion
Violence Education
ISSUES TO BE TACKLED: GENDER BASED VIOLENCE

 "Gender Based Violence (GBV) is violence that is directed against a person on

the basis of his or her gender. It constitutes a breach of the fundamental right to
life, liberty, security, dignity, equality between women and men, non-
discrimination and physical and mental integrity. Gender based violence
reflects and reinforces inequalities between men and women. Gender based
violence and violence against women (VAW) are often used interchangeably as
most gender based violence is inflicted by men..
 ASEAN Guidance on Eliminating Gender Based Violence:
https://www2.unwomen.org/-/media/field%20office%20eseasia/docs/publicatio
ns/2018/04/asean-vawg-data-guidelines.pdf?la=en&vs=5541
 Critical Points:
 How about LGBTIQ?

 GBV in the context of lockdowns?

ISSUES TO BE TACKLED: COMPREHENSIVE SEXUAL EDUCATION

 Comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) is a curriculum-based process of

teaching and learning about the cognitive, emotional, physical, and social
aspects of sexuality. It aims to equip children and young people with
knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values that will empower them to: realize their
health, well-being, and dignity; develop respectful social and sexual
relationships; consider how their choices affect their own well-being and that of
others; and understand and ensure the protection of their rights throughout their
lives.
 [Source: UNESCO. 2017. 
International technical guidance on sexuality education, pp.16-17.]
 Watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9es8thLXQs4
 How did you learn about sexuality?
 What would you have wanted to learn about sexuality?
 What is missing in your education?
ISSUES TO BE TACKLED: SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTION

An abortion is a medical procedure that ends a pregnancy. It is a basic

healthcare need for millions of women, girls and others who can become
pregnant. Worldwide, an 
estimated 1 in 4 pregnancies end in an abortion every year. (Amnesty
International)

Points for Discussion:

 Access to safe abortion services is a human right. Under international human
rights law, everyone has a right to life, a right to health, and a right to be free
from violence, discrimination, and torture or cruel, inhuman and degrading
treatment.
 Is abortion a moral issue? Why so?
ISSUES TO BE TACKLED: SAFE AND LEGAL ABORTION
COVID-19 SITUATION: BEYOND THE NUMBERS

Public Health Emergency

Protracted,
Heightened Securitization
Harmful FailingSocieties
(Militarization/Unscientific
Governance of
approaches) Inequalities

Disruption of Livelihood
and Opportunities
INTERSECTIONAL INEQUALITIES

Labour Citizenship
Status Status

Access to
Ethinicity
Technology

Increased Religious
Educational
attainment
Vulnerabilit and Social
y Status
 Joel Mark Barredo
SHAPE-SEA
Joel.shapesea@gmail.com
@beardedadvocate | @shape_sea
www.shapesea.com