Sexual and Reproductive Rights Lawfare: Global battles

Timeframe: 05/01/2014 - 01/01/2020

 

Sexual and Reproductive Rights (SRR) are controversial in most societies. Political polarization has been particularly pronounced on to abortion rights and rights of sexual minorities (LGBTIQ – lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer – persons), but is also evident in issues such as the regulation of contraception, sterilization and adultery, divorce, sexual education and stem cell research. What is particularly pertinent is the growing judicialization of sexual and reproductive rights around the world. At the domestic and international level, courts have emerged as central arenas in these political-moral battles; and not only further rights but also limit them. The project aims to understand the nature, causes and, particularly, the consequences of such lawfare, which we define as diverse and intentional strategies adopted by civil society actors that seek to engage legal institutions in order to further or halt policy reform and social change. To learn more about the methods and background of the project, see here.

For updated project information, see here. 

Project Team: Siri Gloppen (Project Leader), Camila GianellaMalcolm LangfordRachel SiederBruce M. WilsonDaniel M. BrinksAlicia Ely Yamin, Julieta Lemaitre, Paola Bergallo, Neil Datta, Charles Ngwena, Vegard Vibe, Frans Viljoen, Maya Unnithan, Landilani Banda, Chrispine Sibande and Alan Msosa.

Recent Publications

Barbieri, C., Gianella C., Defago, M. and Machado, M. (eds). (2021). Special issue: Abortion Lawfare in Latin America – Some Readings Keys For a Changing Scenario.
Rev. direito GV vol.17 no. 3 São Paulo 2021 Epub Dec 15, 2021.

Interactive magazine and podcast “Queer Realness: In Pursuit of Freedom” by C. Anzio Jacobs (2020)

Bruce Wilson and Camila Gianella (2019) Overcoming the Limits of Legal Oppotunity Structures: LGBT Rights’ Forking Paths in Costa Rica and Colombia Forthcoming 2019 in Latin American Politics and Society

Vikram Kolmanskogg (2018) Love in Law – The Indian Supreme Court decides in favour of LGBT persons CMI Brief 2018:06

Bergallo, P., Haramillo, I.C. and Vaggione, J.M. (2018) El aborto en América Latina. Siglo XXI: Buenos Aires. Download pdf.

Malcolm Langford (2017). Same-Sex Marriage in Polarised Times: Revisiting Joslin New Zealand. In E. Brems and E. Desmet, Rewriting Integrated Human Rights. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Malin Solheim Moldestad (2016). Master oppgave “Frå sinke til føregangsland på transpersonars rettar – Analyse av bakgrunnen for Noregs lov om endring av juridisk kjønn”. Download pdf.

For a full list of related publications, see here.

Recent Events

Film Screening: The Art of Fallism (world premiere). 27 September 2019. Read more.

Documentary Screening: ‘Breaking Free’. 29 October 2018. Read more

The decriminalization of homosexuality in India – Litigating on love.
22 October 2018. With: Vikram Kolmanskogg, Jayna Kothari and Siri Gloppen.
Read our report from the event here.

For more events, see here.

Project information 

Timeframe: May 2014 – January 2020
Funder: Norwegian Research Council

http://www.cmi.no/research/project/?1836=uib-nfr-sexual-and-reproductive-rights-srr-lawfare