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Resolution 2331 (2020)
Empowering women: promoting access to contraception in Europe
1. Access to
modern contraception is crucial to women’s empowerment in that it
increases their decision-making power and autonomy, individually
and within the household, enables them to plan employment and professional
development more efficiently and leads to an improved balance between
private and work life.
2. Access to contraception is not guaranteed to all women equally.
Geographic disparities are found across and within Council of Europe
member States, with more difficulties in rural and remote areas.
3. Furthermore, financial and economic barriers hinder access
to contraception. The economic and financial situation is particularly
important for young and lower-income people who experience difficulties
in accessing contraception if reimbursement or subsidisation are
not provided.
4. Cultural and social barriers, including cultural norms, gender
stereotypes, prejudices and moral stigmas also negatively impact
access to contraception and result in a lack of or insufficient
knowledge of methods of contraception, their availability and correct
use. These obstacles affect potential users, particularly women, young
and non-married people, discouraging them from seeking contraceptives
and advice. In addition, myths and misconceptions, misrepresenting
contraception as unnecessary or potentially harmful, are widespread.
5. Vulnerable and marginalised groups, including lesbian and
bisexual women and trans and intersex people, people with a migrant
background, persons with disabilities and ethnic and linguistic
minorities, are particularly exposed to both financial and cultural
barriers in access to contraception, which calls for specific attention
and measures.
6. The Parliamentary Assembly believes that protecting women’s
sexual and reproductive health and rights should be given a high
priority by public authorities at all levels, as an important part
of gender equality policies, with a view to building fair and equal
societies and promoting health and well-being.
7. The Assembly is convinced that comprehensive sexuality education
in schools at all levels is an indispensable part of the education
of children and young people. It is an investment in a healthier
society that improves the understanding of individual freedoms and
boundaries in the area of sexuality. It contributes to avoiding
early and unintended pregnancies; increasing the use of modern contraception;
preventing sexually transmitted diseases; improving the knowledge,
attitudes and skills necessary for young people’s well-being; promoting
more equitable social and gender norms; preventing sexual, gender-based
and intimate partner violence; promoting self-determination, empowerment,
equality, non-discrimination and respect for diversity.
8. The Assembly considers that all types of modern contraception,
including long-acting reversible contraception should be accessible
and affordable for everyone, irrespective of their sex, social and
national origin and any other status, and should be accompanied
by reliable advice and information. Responsibilities should, as
far as possible, be shared by women and men.
9. The Covid-19 pandemic has affected women and men differently,
increased gender inequalities and made women and girls more vulnerable
to violations of their human rights in areas including gender-based
and domestic violence and sexual and reproductive health and rights.
Policies in response to the pandemic should consider the gendered
aspects of the crisis. Sexual and reproductive health and rights
shall be prioritised, and adequate resources should be allocated.
10. In the light of the above considerations, the Assembly calls
on Council of Europe member and observer States, as well as those
enjoying observer or partner for democracy status with the Parliamentary
Assembly, to:
10.1. as regards sexuality
education, information and awareness raising:
10.1.1. introduce comprehensive sexuality education as part of
all school curricula and ensure that age-appropriate sexuality education
is mandatory for all pupils, and that children cannot be withdrawn
from it. This education should be evidence based and scientifically
accurate, and address issues including the prevention of early pregnancies
and sexually transmitted diseases; the promotion of gender equality;
relationships; consent; prevention of and protection from sexual,
gender-based and intimate partner violence; gender norms; sexual
orientation; gender identity and expression; and sex characteristics;
10.1.2. review textbooks used in sexuality education curricula
and ensure that their contents and illustrations are scientifically
accurate;
10.1.3. provide teachers, school doctors and school nurses with
specific training and resources on comprehensive sexuality education;
10.1.4. conduct information and awareness-raising campaigns on
sexual and reproductive health and rights, including comprehensive
information on all modern contraceptive methods, and all other issues
covered by comprehensive sexuality education in schools, targeting
young people in and out of school, parents and the general public,
through internet and social media as well as traditional media,
such as the press, radio and television, including public television;
10.1.5. set up and advertise information websites providing comprehensive,
fact-based information on contraception, including all types of
modern contraceptive methods, their cost and where they can be obtained.
Information should also be accessible for people living in rural
and remote areas, those belonging to language minorities, persons
with disabilities and migrants;
10.2. as regards access to contraception:
10.2.1. ensure that all modern methods of contraception, including
emergency contraception without prescription, are made available
to the public, including in rural and remote areas and to marginalised
and vulnerable groups;
10.2.2. ensure the affordability of contraceptive methods by including
them in national health insurance schemes with adequate reimbursement
or subsidisation;
10.2.3. develop specific reimbursement or subsidisation schemes
for young, low-income and vulnerable groups, with a view to countering
economic barriers that determine unequal access to contraception
and review such schemes regularly to ensure their effectiveness;
10.2.4. provide affordable, confidential and non-judgmental individual
counselling to those seeking contraception with a view to providing
users with all the necessary and personalised information, including
the choice of the contraceptive methods best suited to their needs,
and to helping them review that choice when needed;
10.2.5. provide mandatory training on contraception both at post-graduate
level and as continuing education for health-care professionals,
as well as regular information on relevant scientific evidence;
10.2.6. develop evidence-based guidelines for health-care professionals
on modern contraception, based on the standards set by the World
Health Organization;
10.2.7. ensure that access to contraception is individualised
and based on the person’s needs, not on their legal gender marker;
10.3. as regards research and data collection:
10.3.1. improve existing or develop
new data collection systems, ensuring a comprehensive collection
of comparable data on contraception, disaggregated by sex, age,
income, social status and level of education;
10.3.2. start or enhance research on the use of all methods of
contraception, their prevalence, evolution, costs and impact on
users;
10.3.3. promote and support scientific research on male contraception
methods, with a view to developing and making available innovative
contraceptives and devices for use by people who are assigned male
at birth;
10.4. as regards co-operation with civil society, health professionals
and service providers: strengthen co-operation and support for civil
society and health professionals’ organisations that are active
in promoting and providing contraception, collecting data and conducting
research, designing and carrying out information and awareness-raising
campaigns, providing training for health-care professionals and sexuality
education; and provide an enabling environment and funding for civil
society organisations active in this field;
10.5. as regards the response to the Covid-19 pandemic:
10.5.1. consider contraception, including
emergency contraception, and maternal health care before, during
and after childbirth, as essential health-care services to be maintained
during the crisis and take all necessary accompanying measures to
guarantee the provision of and access to such services;
10.5.2. guarantee access without discrimination to sexual and
reproductive health-care services and facilitate it, including by
authorising telephone and online consultations and access to contraception
without prescription, particularly in the case of the restriction
of people’s movement in connection with the Covid-19 pandemic; and
maintain in force such measures, as far as possible, after the end
of the health crisis.