Women's rights

56 percent can decide freely about their bodies

Protest against the abortion ban in the USA (archive image)

(Bild: AP)

Only 56 percent of women worldwide are free to make decisions about their bodies and their sexuality. The others, for example, do not have access to contraceptives or cannot freely choose their sexual partners. This is one of the findings of the UNFPA World Population Report 2024.

Other reasons for a lack of physical and sexual self-determination include abortion bans and genital mutilation. The report by the United Nations Population Fund examines the past 30 years. It shows that twice as many modern contraceptives are used today than 30 years ago and that unplanned pregnancies have decreased. Girls and young women between the ages of 15 and 19 are now less likely to have a child than they were in 1994, and the maternal mortality rate has fallen worldwide. However, in some countries, such as the USA, the maternal mortality rate rose again between 2016 and 2020. This refers to women who die during pregnancy, childbirth or shortly after giving birth.

Modern contraceptives such as the pill (pictured) are now used twice as often as they were 30 years ago.

(Bild: stock.adobe.com, krone.at-Grafik)

Pregnancies as a health risk
Pregnancies are still a health risk for many women. According to the report, every second pregnancy is unintended and every tenth woman is unable to decide whether she wants to use contraception or not. The highest birth rates are in those countries where women are least able to make decisions about contraception, said NEOS women's spokesperson Henrike Brandstötter. More awareness programs and money for education are therefore needed.

In order to improve physical self-determination worldwide, measures should be tailored to specific target groups, for example sex workers and people with disabilities, said Faika El-Nagashi (Greens).

"Relatively happy" situation in Austria
In Austria, the situation of women is "relatively happy", said Willibald Zeck, who is responsible for women's health at the UN. However, the achievements to date, such as the regulation of time limits for abortion, should not be lost and more consensus could be found within the EU.

The SPÖ, Greens and NEOS see a need to catch up. SPÖ women's spokesperson Eva-Maria Holzleitner pointed out on Thursday, for example, that costs of several hundred euros, as with the IUD, could be burdensome and that more attention should be paid to the individual when it comes to contraception. Access should not be the pill for all. The SPÖ and the Greens are also calling for legal, comprehensive and free abortions.

Every second pregnancy is unintended (symbolic image).

(Bild: stock.adobe.com null)

Brandstötter sees problems with demands for data and motive studies on abortions, as these could be associated with judgments. Some government programs currently state that adoption should be promoted as an alternative to abortion.

System overwhelmed?
Sex education and sex education in schools was also mentioned as an important aspect. Currently, implementation is still very much down to the individual location, young people are disinformed by artificial intelligence and the system is probably overwhelmed. According to the Greens, external expertise is therefore needed, for which quality standards and resources must be defined.

Fundamental rights are under permanent political threat.

Faika El-Nagaschi, Grüne Abgeordnete

"Fundamental rights are under permanent political threat," said MEP El-Nagaschi. In 1994, the United Nations recognized sexual and reproductive health and the associated rights as human rights. Much has been achieved since then, said Zeck. Nevertheless, inequalities in physical self-determination still need to be overcome worldwide. In Austria, for example, the non-partisan parliamentary group for sexual and reproductive health and rights is committed to #parlaandsex.