Through this public statement, we, the organizations part of the Human Rights Network dealing with the protection and promotion of human rights, Youth Initiative for Human Rights – Kosovo (YIHR KS), Center for Equality and Liberty (CEL Kosovo), Kosovo Law Institute (KLI), Kosovo Gender Studies Center (KGSC), New Social Initiative (NSI), Voice of Roma, Ashkali and Egyptians (VoRAE), and HANDIKOS, strongly react to the way the Draft Law on Reproductive Health and Medically Assisted Conception is being discussed.

Discussions on the Draft Law on Reproductive Health and Medically Assisted Conception that contradict the fundamental rights and freedoms of women regarding reproduction are dangerous and violate the right of women to make their own decisions about their bodies.

Discriminatory, racist, sexist, and prejudiced reactions are a direct result of the lack of fundamental information about the constitutional rights of citizens of the Republic of Kosovo. This issue is regulated by the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which is part of our Constitution of Kosovo through its Article 22. Article 12 of CEDAW recognizes women’s right to regulate and control their reproductive lives and the necessity of ensuring access to health services, including family planning and reproductive technologies such as IVF.

CEDAW requires states to ensure women equal rights with men in the selection of a spouse, marriage only with free and full consent, as well as decision-making regarding childbirth.

These provisions are crucial for linking women’s empowerment and gender equality with IVF because they decisively recognize women’s autonomy in making decisions about reproductive life – including the choice of IVF for childbirth.

The stance of MPs like Eman Rrahmani, Duda Balje, Albena Reshitaj, and Visar Korenica are in contradiction with fundamental human rights, as they attack the principles of gender equality and non-discrimination, which are fundamental values of the Constitution of the Republic of Kosovo. Also, knowing the impact a deputy has, such a stance can escalate into violence against women.

Therefore, we urge the MPs of the Parliament of Kosovo to distance themselves and condemn this sexist, racist, and discriminatory language. While we demand from the media not to fill media spaces with such sexist, racist, and discriminatory content that incites violence.