The Genesis of Reproductive Health and Rights Article 16 of...

The Genesis of Reproductive Health and Rights Article 16 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights lays stress on the founding of family.

The recognition of this right is dependent on the marital bond and the founding of family.[^3] Twenty years later, the Declaration of Tehran Conference (1968) on Human Rights declared the right of parents in free decision-making and the recognition of their rights in relation to the number of their children.[^4] Although the documents involved do not necessitate legality in international arena, they have gained great international protection.

As to the rights of covenants, the International Bill of Human Rights, the recognition of reproductive health and rights within the framework of family, guarantees some of the legal obligations as to the protection of rights included therein (article 23 of the Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and articles 10 and 12 of the Covenant on Cultural, Economic and Social Rights 1966).[^5] The status of married women constitutes the constant subject of International Bill of Human Rights.

Article 12 of the Covenant on Cultural, Social and Economic Rights lays stress on the individuals rights for the better enjoyment of mental and physical healthcare. However, a fundamental agreement on the concept of women’s rights was not concluded at international plane at the moment of approving the bill, and the aforesaid covenants lack sufficient sensitivity towards women’s healthcare and rights. The idea that women can enjoy certain rights is nipped in the bud in international dialogues.

The sad truth is that the Bill of Human Rights has sought to drive women into the margin from the issue of human rights and only over the last fifteen years, human rights have considered the truth of women’s life in the society.[^6] At any rate, regarding the neglect of the fundamental women’s rights at international level, what has become of particular interest since the sixties has been the issue of family planning.

Considering the increasing population growth at international plane and its effects on the provision of food, the acquisition of resources and development, a great number of developing countries took effective measures in modifying reproduction and in increasing access to the services relevant to family planning. Thus, family planning became the focus of demographic and healthcare plans in these countries.