World Sexual Health Day 2023 with the theme ‘Consent!’ raises attention to the importance of consent and mutual respect when it comes to sexual encounters

04-09-2023

Roza Cseby

Women’s Rights Researcher, 

Global Human Rights Defence.

On September 4th, the international community celebrates World Sexual Health Day (WSHD) to foster increased global awareness of sexual health rights (World Association for Sexual Health, 2023/a). The first World Sexual Health Day in 2010 was initiated by the World Association for Sexual Health (WAS), due to the efforts of Rosemary Coates, who was the President of the organization at the time. The goal was to promote sexual health and well-being and acknowledge sexual health as part of human rights (World Association for Sexual Health, 2023/b). The landmark Declaration of Sexual Rights, which was first proclaimed in 1997 and revised in 2014 and finally ratified by the WAS General Assembly in 2015, serves this goal by stating that sexual rights embrace a range of human rights that are already enshrined in international and regional human rights conventions. These human rights are, among others, the following:

• The right to equality and non-discrimination 
• The right to life, liberty and security of the person 
• The right to autonomy and bodily integrity
• The right to be free from torture and cruel inhuman or degrading treatment and punishment 
• The right to be free from all forms of violence and coercion
• The right to privacy
• The right to the highest attainable standard of health, including sexual health; with the possibility of pleasurable, satisfying, and safe sexual experiences 
• The right to education and comprehensive sexuality education
• The right to enter, form, and dissolve marriage and other similar types of relationships based on equality and full and free consent
• The right to decide whether to have children and the number and spacing of children
• The right to the freedom of thought, opinion, and expression
• The right to access to justice, remedies, and redress (World Association for Sexual Health, 2014).

What is sexual health?

“…a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality; it is not merely the absence of disease, dysfunction or infirmity. Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships, as well as the possibility of having pleasurable and safe sexual experiences, free of coercion, discrimination and violence. For sexual health to be attained and maintained, the sexual rights of all persons must be respected, protected and fulfilled.”(WHO, 2006). 

Each year WSHD focuses on a different theme. The 2023 theme is Consent, a very relevant choice in light of the recent scandal of the Spanish Football Federation President who kissed a player on the lips without her consent or the European Commission’s recent proposal for a criminal definition of rape based on the absence of consent (Le Monde, 2023). It was also in 2023 that the EU ratified the Council of Europe Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and domestic violence, usually referred to as “Istanbul Convention” which obliges all State Parties to criminalise non-consensual sexual acts (Council of Europe, 2020; Council of Europe, 2023).

What is consent?

Consent means permission and bodily autonomy. Consent is required for all sexual activities from all partners involved. Consent must be free from pressure, manipulation, or influence of drugs or alcohol. Moreover, it needs to be informed and specific by knowing what someone is asking consent for. Consent is also reversible at any time. For full consent to sexual encounters, partners need to agree on a plan to protect each from sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and unintended pregnancy and they also need to be honest about their STI status (World Association for Sexual Health, 2023/c). 

Consent is the core of sexual health as everyone has the inherent right to determine the timing, partners, and circumstances of their sexual activity. This extends to their capacity to make autonomous decisions regarding their lives and bodies, encompassing the choice of parenthood. Consequently, it is imperative that everyone has access to the comprehensive spectrum of sexual and reproductive health services, information, and contraception to actualize these fundamental rights (UNFPA, 2023). 

Nevertheless, the right to sexual health is often denied especially to women and girls, LGBTQI+ people, disabled people and those living in poverty or belonging to communities facing discrimination. It is denied when individuals encounter stigmatization, discrimination, and violence. Likewise, it is compromised when access to sexual and reproductive healthcare becomes unattainable, whether due to humanitarian crises, poverty, or deeply ingrained systemic injustices linked to sexism, racism, sexual orientation, age, or disability (UNFPA, 2023).

In conclusion, the significance of sexual health for all individuals cannot be overstated, with consent at its very core. Moreover, sexual health rights are an integral component of women's rights as it encompasses rights related to sexual and reproductive health. Ensuring that women have the ability to make choices about their sexual and reproductive health, access to healthcare services, and protection from discrimination and violence are essential steps in advancing gender equality and promoting women's rights (OHCHR, n.d.). This year’s World Sexual Health Day underlines that by championing the principles of consent and sexual health, we move closer to a world where every individual's rights are respected, protected, and realized, fostering a more just and equitable society. 

Sources and further readings:

World Association for Sexual Health (2023/a). World Sexual Health Day. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://worldsexualhealth.net/world-sexual-health-day/#:~:text=The%20history%20behind%20World%20Sexual,sexual%20health%20across%20the%20globe 

World Association for Sexual Health (2023/b). About WAS And WSHD. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://worldsexualhealthday.org/about/ 

World Association for Sexual Health (2014). Declaration of Sexual Rights. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://worldsexualhealth.net/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/declaration_of_sexual_rights_sep03_2014_b.pdf 

WHO (2006). Sexual Health - Definitions. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://www.who.int/health-topics/sexual-health#tab=tab_2 

UNFPA (2023). World Sexual Health Day. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://www.unfpa.org/events/world-sexual-health-day 

World Association for Sexual Health (2023/c). Understanding Consent. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://worldsexualhealthday.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Consent_Fact_Sheet.pdf 

Council of Europe (2020). “Sex without consent is rape: European countries must change their laws to state that clearly”. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://www.coe.int/en/web/portal/-/-sex-without-consent-is-rape-european-countries-must-change-their-laws-to-state-that-clearly-#:~:text=Known%20commonly%20as%20the%20Istanbul,in%20line%20with%20Article%2036 

Council of Europe (2023). The European Union deposited the instrument of approval of the “Istanbul Convention”. Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://www.coe.int/da/web/portal/-/the-european-union-deposited-the-instrument-of-approval-of-the-istanbul-convention- 

OHCHR (n.d.). Sexual and reproductive health and rights. OHCHR and women’s human rights and gender equality.  Retrieved on 5th September, 2023 from https://www.ohchr.org/en/women/sexual-and-reproductive-health-and-rights