A/HRC/39/26
violations to inform evidence-based policy advocacy and strategic litigation. Those
organizations then conducted research on the status of maternal health in their regions, and
the key findings were disseminated in 2017 in a regional workshop for local government
officials.
19.
In their submissions, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Mexico, Portugal,
Senegal, Turkey, UNFPA Burundi, Marie Stopes International, International Planned
Parenthood Federation and Women Enabled International shared information about
capacity-building and/or awareness-raising activities conducted with health workers,
including on applying the human rights-based approach to maternal health and on
respecting sexual and reproductive health and rights of all women, including women with
disabilities.
D.
Monitoring, review, oversight and remedies
20.
Efforts to monitor, review and provide remedies in line with the technical guidance
were emphasized by stakeholders in their submissions. Croatia, Czechia, Georgia,
Honduras, Malta, Mauritania, Mexico and Slovenia highlighted how they had put in place
monitoring and accountability mechanisms, such as: gender-sensitive data collection on
maternal health; survey studies; national registers on reproductive health; and mechanisms
for tracking and analysing maternal deaths and injuries. In its submission, Cuba also
reported the practice of regular technical discussions meetings to study each maternal
health case where there had been a complication in identifying when care fell short, training
personnel and taking organizational and disciplinary measures when rights were violated.
Mauritius noted the establishment of a fully functioning health information system, which
included 100 per cent civil registration coverage and collected disaggregated data on sexual
and reproductive health on a daily and systematic basis. Marie Stopes International
emphasized how it had used participatory approaches to collect both quantitative and
qualitative data about their programmes to identify and address gaps, including regular
feedback and client exit interviews integrated into monthly evaluations.
21.
In relation to human rights mechanisms, OHCHR Uganda had supported the Uganda
Human Rights Commission in developing a public database to monitor recommendations
and facilitate timely reporting to international, regional and national human rights
mechanisms. The database included sexual and reproductive health and rights issues and
had been rolled out with six pilot ministries, departments and agencies through trainings in
the period 2016–2017. Human Rights in Childbirth also indicated its assistance to civil
society actors preparing shadow reports and letters of support to international and regional
human rights mechanisms.
22.
In 2017, the Center for Reproductive Rights in Kenya released a public report on the
detention and abuse of women seeking maternal health services, which was based on a
2015 High Court decision that had declared that fundamental rights had been violated. 10
Subsequently, in 2018, the Center supported the litigation of a pregnant woman who had
been verbally and physically abused by hospital staff and left intentionally to give birth on
the floor. The High Court found violations of her rights to health and dignity.
IV. Challenges for the implementation of the technical guidance
23.
The many concrete examples of good practices highlighted above illustrate the
significant progress that has been made over six years to raise awareness of and implement
the technical guidance, although challenges remain. Despite the fact that more actors are
familiar with the guidance, there is a clear need to continue efforts at widespread
dissemination and increased awareness of the technical guidance and rights-based
approaches more generally.
10
6
Center for Reproductive Rights, “Detention and Abuse of Women Seeking Maternal Health Services:
Fundamental Rights Violation” (Nairobi, 2017).
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