Who made HeRWAI and why
HeRWAI has been developed by Aim for human rights in cooperation with a number of other organizations:
• Naripokkho in Bangladesh
• The Federation of Women Lawyers – Kenya (FIDA Kenya)
• Servicio Integral para la Mujer (Si Mujer) in Nicaragua
• International Women’s Rights Action Watch – Asia Pacific (IWRAW-AP) in Malaysia
• Wemos in the Netherlands.
These organizations share a concern about the relationship between global and local processes and their possible consequences for women’s health rights. They feel it is important to press governments and other actors to improve women’s health rights.
During the period from November 2002 to February 2004 members of these organisations and representatives of Aim for human rights met three times for a week for intense discussions which determined the objectives and the form of HeRWAI. Other interested experts gave their input on numerous occasions. Aim for human rights brought together the ideas from these different sources to develop the text of the instrument. The NCDO (National Commission for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development), Hivos, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and PSO contributed financially to the project.
In 2005 the draft version of HeRWAI was tested by Naripokkho (Bangladesh), the World Population Foundation (Pakistan), the Johannes Wier Foundation (the Netherlands) and FIDA Kenya. On the basis of their experiences Aim for human rights improved HeRWAI and enriched it with examples. Aim for human rights therefore takes responsibility for the final content and any shortcomings.
Aim for human rights is very grateful to all those who shared their experience, enthusiasm and precious time to contribute to this instrument. We hope that these joint efforts will contribute to healthier policies for women’s rights.
Across the world, NGOs are advocating health rights of women. Aim for human rights has developed a practical tool to assist organisations in analysing what really happens with the international obligations that States have on women’s health rights: the Health Rights of Women Assessment Instrument (HeRWAI). Through a HeRWAI analysis, NGOs can formulate powerful rights based arguments that can be used to lobby for concrete actions to improve the situation of women.
Comparing actual policy with human rights obligations
HeRWAI is a practical tool for organisations that want to bring a human rights approach into practice. Through a HeRWAI analysis, organisations can link what actually happens with what should happen according to the human rights obligations of a country.
Basis and application
HeRWAI can be used to analyse a wide variety of subjects related to women’s health rights, such as violence against women, maternal mortality and access to mental health care. The analysis includes local, national and international influences and is based on the norms set by the UN-women’s convention (CEDAW) and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR).
HeRWAI is a practical instrument
- It provides a useful tool for rights based analysis;
- It integrates women’s rights (CEDAW) and health rights (ICESCR);
- It enables NGOs to analyse national as well as international human rights responsibilities;
- It creates an additional way for NGOs to make use of human rights treaties;
- It empowers NGOs to demand accountability from governments.
