IACHR: States Must Ensure Reproductive Health for Rural Women, Girls, and Adolescents

October 17, 2024

Washington, D.C. – In recognition of the International Day of Rural Women, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) calls on States in the region to intensify efforts to ensure that women, girls, and adolescents living in rural and remote areas—particularly Indigenous and Afro-descendant persons—have access to reproductive health information, goods, and services that are gender-sensitive, culturally appropriate, and intersectional.

Recent global and regional data confirm that women, girls, and adolescents from marginalized ethnic-racial groups experience worse reproductive health outcomes compared to the general population. Although factors such as socioeconomic and educational levels play a role, many of these disparities are linked to ethnic-racial background. Typically, reproductive health information and services fail to consider cultural differences, and they are often scarce in rural or remote areas where these populations are concentrated. In Latin America and the Caribbean alone, around 58 million women live in rural areas, engaging in work essential for food security and environmental conservation.

In this context, Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and tribal women, especially girls and adolescents, face higher rates of unintended pregnancies - including because of sexual violence -, higher unmet family planning needs, and lower prevalence of modern contraceptive use. They are also less likely to receive prenatal care and skilled birth attendance, and are far more likely to experience obstetric violence, or even die due to pregnancy-related complications. Furthermore, they are more exposed to unsafe abortion practices due to limited access to adequate healthcare.

The IACHR recalls that, through the Declaration on the Rights of All Rural Women, Adolescents, and Girls in the Americas, the States in the region have committed to the Inter-American Decade (2024-2034). This initiative aims to promote progressive measures to advance all their rights and eradicate all forms of discrimination they face. In this regard, States must work to expand the coverage of reproductive health services and social protection in rural and remote areas, including the strengthening of both traditional and modern midwifery services, considering ethnic-racial and linguistic diversity.

Additionally, the Commission urges States to adopt concrete measures to identify and overcome the specific barriers faced by Indigenous, Afro-descendant, and tribal women in rural areas when accessing reproductive health information and services. These measures should incorporate the perspectives of women, traditional midwives, and healthcare personnel working in rural areas to ensure that health information and services reflect the distinct cultures, dynamics, and worldviews of these communities.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), deriving its mandate from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission is tasked with promoting the observance and defense of human rights across the region and serves as an advisory body to the OAS in this field. The IACHR consists of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and they do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 253/24

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