This conference expresses its grave disquiet that despite the claims of the government of the United States that the invasions and occupation of Afghanistan and Iraq were carried out, at least in part, to liberate the people of those countries, the draft Constitution for Afghanistan reintroduces Islamic law in a form that falls far short of internationally accepted standards of human rights, and that in Iraq, the American Administration is reported as being prepared to accept Islam as the state religion.   <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The conference deplores the reintroduction of an Islamic Constitution in <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Afghanistan while the memory of the brutality of the Taliban is still fresh, and expresses its dismay that the Administration would countenance the introduction of a state religion in Iraq where none existed before the occupation by coalition forces.

The IHEU International Conference “Empowering Women”, conference was held on 15th and <?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />16th November 2003 at Conway Hall, London, at which participants from 16 countries (Slovakia, Poland, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, Iraq, Syria, Iran, India, Nepal, the United Kingdom and the United States) assembled.  They unanimously passed a resolution calling on the United States government to ensure that the new Constitutions for Afghanistan and Iraq conform to the standards set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

The conference discussed the main global problems of women today and agreed that the empowerment of women would be the best way of achieving the United Nations Millennium Goals.

Humanist Women’s International Network<?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Health and reproductive rights: reproductive health is where women and men enjoy a satisfying and safe sex life and the capability to reproduce and the freedom to decide if, when and how often to do so. All people have the right to access safe, effective, affordable family planning of their choice, as well as appropriate maternal care to ensure safe pregnancy and childbirth and a healthy child. Such services will also help to protect women and men from HIV/AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections. Empowering women with knowledge and awareness about health is fundamental to achieving global health.

Diana Brown

This title is chosen because there are many who deny any role for sexuality beyond reproduction.

So what sort of rights are we considering?

1. The right to own one's own body. This includes the right to decide whether, when and with whom to have sexual experiences, always provided that such experiences are not harmful to another. (The question of harmful but consensual sado-masochistic practices needs consideration, but perhaps not in this forum.) Most of the other rights may be considered to flow from this primary right.

Kaj Fölster, Sweden: Humanisterna

No development of our humanistic goals is possible without continuous progress in gender politics.