Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu.
In an effort to deepen South Africans understanding of their rights in making healthy decisions about their bodies, sexuality, and reproduction., the Department of Social Development, will from Wednesday, 22 until Friday, 24 March, host the Sexual and Reproductive Justice Conference in Pretoria.
The conference will be an important milestone toward consolidating the Population Policy related Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) work that has been done in the last 24 years. It also presents an opportunity to chart a new way forward regarding the Sexual and Reproductive Justice discourse in the country.
According to the department the conference will, among others issues address the legacy of forced sterilisation of HIV-positive women in public health care institutions in South Africa.
The conference is part of the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action 1994 +20 which resolved that South Africa should approach sexual and reproductive health and rights from a Sexual and Reproductive Justice (SRJ) perspective as gender equality, equity and the genuine empowerment of women.
The department hopes that by the end of the there will be deep understanding amongst delegates and South Africans in general that they have a right to choose the conditions under which to give birth, create a family and care for their children with the necessary social support in a safe and healthy environment.
