23 October 2025 | 17:00-20:00 | Albert Schweitzer House, Schwarzspanierstraße 13, 1090 Vienna
Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) is an issue that affects everyone worldwide. Every human being has the right to make free, informed and self-determined decisions about their own body, sexuality and reproduction – without discrimination, coercion or violence. This affects every area of life and society as a whole. In order to ensure that people can shape their sexual and reproductive health in a self-determined way, sufficient and low-threshold access to information, services and medical care is needed. All institutions, local and international organisations and political leaders are called upon to do this.
For this reason, the Vienna Institute for International Dialogue and Cooperation (VIDC), THE RAIN WORKERS - Network for sexual and reproductive health, the Austrian Public Health Association and Women in Global Health - Austrian Chapter aim to establish SRHR as a key function for social, health and economic development.
In a panel discussion with audience participation and networking activities, the complexity of the topic will be examined from different perspectives. Against the backdrop of global developments in the field of sexual and reproductive health and the impact of drastic cuts in international development funding, experts from the fields of health, gender, development cooperation and humanitarian aid will work out the interfaces and relevance of SRHR for global cooperation and Austria. Based on a gender-reflective interpretation of international law, the focus will be on gynaecological counselling and care in Austria as well as on the care of people in East Africa and in war and crisis zones. Gender and diversity aspects in medicine, as well as the negative health effects of discrimination, underline the importance of social determinants of health and reflect historically evolved patriarchal power structures. This will also be reflected in another angle to the discussion: access to clean water and the possibility of being able to take care of menstrual hygiene safely and undisturbed.
Feminist empowerment by female leaders in the health care system, through economic independence and through a self-determined, informed approach to one's own body will run like a red thread through the event. The diversity of perspectives on the podium is represented by voices from the Global North and South as well as by different professional backgrounds. Further voices and experiences from the audience should ensure that the individual threads will be woven together to create a canvas of the big picture which represents SRHR.
The aim of the event is to raise awareness and insight: SRHR concerns us all and needs more attention worldwide! Register here.