There is an interesting dilemma in the statement. On the one hand:
We commit to uphold and protect gender equality, non-discrimination and freedom of religion or belief.
On the other:
Discriminatory personal status laws, laws that allow harmful practices, or restrict women’s and girls’ full and equal enjoyment of all human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights, bodily autonomy, and other laws that justify, condone, or reinforce violence, discrimination, or inequalities on the grounds of religion, belief or gender should be repealed
What do you do when a religious belief is in conflict with a law on equality? The NT ban on women being pastors would be a good example, and as far as I know also reflected in Judaism or Islam. Should you exempt churches from equality legislation on the grounds of freedom of religion, or include them thereby denying freedom of religion or belief? If you enforce the latter, where does this leave separation of church and state?
There may be no direct parallel with abortion, but if you regard it as a moral wrong on religious grounds surely you have the right to campaign for its abolition, especially in a democracy, and all the more so when those in favour of it cannot say where a right to abortion comes from.
My right to have access to safe reproductive healthcare comes from the same place as my right to access any other type of healthcare.
Individuals should be able decide for themselves where any kind of healthcare sits with their own religious beliefs.
Aiui Jehovah's witnesses eschew blood transfusions for themselves, on the grounds of their religious beliefs .
However, they don't get to deny me the right to a blood transfusion, or any other type of healthcare, based on their own beliefs.
Just as no one else should be making choices about whether or not I have to 'host' a foetus, or have to go through pregnancy or childbirth. .
It's incredibly arrogant for anyone to think they have the right to make me, or any other woman go through with that.
But there we are..Arrogance abounds.
The other stuff about NT rules on pastors only being men just shows how steeped in sexism 'Christianity' really is .
As are so many of the other religions.
They too are very keen on keeping patriachal control over women, and their bodies.
It's all pretty transparent what's going on to an outside observer who doesn't buy into the idea that inequality is baked in as immutable.
If people want to follow an inherently sexist religion that's up to them -although in many places it's actually forced upon them if religion is bound up with the state
I don't see why your, or anyone elses religious beliefs should impact my access to safe reproductive healthcare.
Sadly, some people seem very keen to force their beliefs on others.
Also sadly a lot of people don't seem to care that women are being denied access to safe reproductive healthcare.
