Organization and History
International Center for Reproductive Health (ICRH) is a global legal advocacy organization dedicated to advancing women’s fundamental reproductive and sexual rights. The organization has expanded internationally and operates across five continents: Africa, Europe, Asia, the United States, and Latin America (ICRH, 2021). ICRH has successfully partnered with other organizations in the last 18 years to implement quality reproductive health among women (ICRH, 2021). This organization’s collaboration and experience have enhanced efficient and robust financial and programming management of donor funding. The organization has, over the past, designed and implemented innovative and cost-effective evidence-based interventions on research in the reproductive and sexual fields of women and young girls (ICRH, 2021). The organization has continued to achieve its intervention success through stakeholder engagement which ensures policy dialogues and delivery on promises found in promoting positive change and scientific evidence for local and global output in reproductive and sexual health (ICRH, 2021). ICRH has critically played an essential role in advancing laws, policies, and legal victories that improve women’s reproductive and sexual rights (ICRH, 2021). These reproductive rights promote material health, life-saving obstetrics care, contraception, and safe abortion services.
The Problems that ICRH Intended to Address
ICRH is focused on addressing the gap in quality health care for women. Quality healthcare improves available services and facilities to enhance positive outcomes. An improved healthcare system is a sure way to ensure women get access to standard healthcare facilities (Comfort et al., 2022). Besides, the organization facilitates assisted reproduction care and maternity services to uphold safe deliveries. This aspect has helped to reduce high infant mortality rates experienced over the past decades worldwide (ICRH, 2021). Minority groups have also been protected by the organization’s approach to equality in healthcare (Prather et al., 2018). Universal healthcare services are now equally disseminated to everyone, including those with special needs. ICRH has pioneered the fight to create enabling environment that favors people with disabilities to access health services comfortably (Comfort et al., 2022). The organization creates programs to provide services to those at home who cannot physically avail themselves of healthcare facilities.
ICRH has spearheaded the call for women’s decision-making concerning their healthcare. Women were prohibited from making reproductive decisions because men had dominated the community in the recent past. Luckily, ICRH has helped many women globally to make their own decisions that benefit their healthcare (Kyilleh, Tabong, & Konlaan, 2018). Effective birth control measures help women effectively live productive lives in society (ICRH, 2021). Further, the organization has facilitated the move toward abolishing illegal and unsafe abortion (ICRH, 2021). It champions human rights and thus does not support violations of women and adolescents. Thus, ICRH has influenced decisions that support human survival by discouraging unsafe abortion and human trafficking (Kyilleh, Tabong, & Konlaan, 2018). These decisions have helped to give the organization a positive public name worldwide.
Mission Goals of the Organization
Over the past, women have faced problems regarding healthcare services and access to quality services. Maternal health has received less attention in most healthcare facilities and home-based care (Comfort et al., 2022). Furthermore, women have had little enjoyment of society’s reproductive health decisions and rights. Health is considered the universal human right provision in the bill of rights (Comfort et al., 2022). Thus, concerns have been raised defending women’s access to quality health with effective services and equipment. The organization aims to promote women’s dignity, well-being, and equality of inclusivity without gender bias.
ICRH is on a mission to address issues that promote the protection and advancement of women’s self-determination, reproductive health, and dignity regarding basic human rights. This mission guides ICRH in defending the sexual and reproductive rights and health of girls and women globally with the aid of the power of law (ICRH, 2021). The organization’s mission has remained on the course of protecting the health and rights of women and girls. This approach has helped many nations to achieve equal and effective women’s health. The organization envisions an equal world where everyone participates with dignity as equal people in society, irrespective of personal differences such as gender. Thus, women enjoy equal access to quality health and make productive decisions today (Kyilleh, Tabong, & Konlaan, 2018). ICRH has worked to advance abortion rights by lessening restrictive policies and laws in Africa, Europe, Asia, the United States, and Latin America (ICRH, 2021). The organization’s abortion laws map the world; thus, support measures set that has been set toward accessing legal and safe abortion. More so, ICRH has countered efforts that undermine access to abortion care.
Adolescent reproductive and sexual health and rights is another mission that ICRH works globally to ensure that adolescents exercise their full reproductive and sexual rights and healthcare (SRHR). These rights comprise making informed decisions about their health in the reproductive and sexual healthcare services (Kyilleh, Tabong, & Konlaan, 2018). Women are further provided with assisted reproduction services without discrimination and non-violation of their human rights (ICRH, 2021). ICRH has met the goal of modern reproduction control among women and adolescents through the provision of affordable contraception means (ICRH, 2021). Modern contraception means have enabled women to manage their futures and lives.
Another mission goal of the organization has been humanitarian settings in maternal health during disasters and pandemics such as Covid-19. The transition of justice settings for the organization has guaranteed women’s vulnerability to be held accountable to governments’ implication of human rights obligations (ICRH, 2021). This obligation has helped to curb sexual violence, forced marriage, and human trafficking, which mainly contribute to an increased violation of human rights, unsafe abortion, unwanted pregnancies, and maternal mortality. The organization’s mission for maternal health aims to reduce disparities and improve the mother and child’s health. ICRH mandates governments to manage their human rights obligation and address failures and discrimination against women’s physical integrity and autonomy. Generally, women have the freedom to exercise their reproductive choices without fear of suppression.
Policy and Law Supported by ICRH
International Center for Reproductive Health policy promotes and advances sexual and reproductive health and the rights of women and young girls through litigation, advocacy, and fact-finding. The organization champions safe and legal abortion for all women through litigation measures and the rule of law (ICRH, 2021). ICRH has also promoted advanced adolescents’’ use of modern contraceptives and assisted reproduction in their decision to control their reproductive health (Kyilleh, Tabong, & Konlaan, 2018). The organization encourages the humanitarian aspect of maternal health to create respect for every human right. The organization supports this law because it is an internal universal right of every human being. The bill of rights is the core-basic guiding standard for spearheading the mission of promoting equality and quality healthcare for women.
Opinion
The organization has been successful in achieving its mission in the promotion of quality healthcare and equality. It has achieved inclusivity for all people with different diversity, such as marginalized groups. Facilities have been created in healthcare centers that provide sufficient help to patients. Some laws prohibit women and girls from terminating the lives of innocent unborn babies. Individuals who carry out abortions are supposed to follow legal and safe approaches. ICRH has achieved its mission of protecting and eliminating barriers that hinder women through advocacy, litigation, and fact-finding.
References
Comfort, A. B., Rao, L., Goodman, S., Raine-Bennett, T., Barney, A., Mengesha, B., & Harper, C. C. (2022). Assessing differences in contraceptive provision through telemedicine among reproductive health providers during the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States. Reproductive Health, 19(1), 1-13.
International Centre for Reproductive Health (ICRH). (2021). Our history and issues. Center for Reproductive Rights.
Kyilleh, J. M., Tabong, P. T. N., & Konlaan, B. B. (2018). Adolescents’ reproductive health knowledge, choices and factors affecting reproductive health choices: a qualitative study in the West Gonja District in Northern region, Ghana. BMC International Health and Human Rights, 18(1), 1-12.
Prather, C., Fuller, T. R., Jeffries IV, W. L., Marshall, K. J., Howell, A. V., Belyue-Umole, A., & King, W. (2018). Racism, African American women, and their sexual and reproductive health: a review of historical and contemporary evidence and implications for health equity.Health Equity, 2(1), 249-259. Web.