HUMAN RIGHTS LAW NETWORK (HRLN)
Position: Internship: 3-6 months
Project: ‘Up-scaling the legal initiative in India for reducing maternal mortality and advancing young people’s reproductive health and rights’
Unit: Reproductive Rights Unit
Location: Delhi, Gujarat and Other States Across India
Reproductive Rights:
‘rest on the recognition of the basic right of all couples and individuals to decide freely and responsible the number, spacing and timing of their children and to have the information and means to do so, and the right to attain the highest standard of sexual and reproductive health. This should also include the right of all to make decisions concerning reproduction free of discrimination, coercion and violence.’
International Cairo Programme of Action, 1994, India is a signatory
Project summary:
India has the highest number of maternal deaths (women dying in child birth or pregnancy related causes) in the world, 117,000 per year, accounting for 20% of the global toll. While the Indian government has set up various programmes, delivery of these entitlements does not reach the poor, illiterate, marginalised and vulnerable.
The main objective of this project will legally challenge the denial of Reproductive Rights, with a particularly emphasis on maternal mortality -this particular violation also highlights a number of other rights which have been violated, and legal redressal for the lack of implementation of the Service Guarantees as set under the government’s National Rural Health Mission (2005-2012) which includes access to family planning, ante/post natal care, contraception, access to safe medical termination of pregnancies. Our work also provides legal redressal of coercive population policies which frame access to Reproductive Health Care for women in India. The government’s own scheme of Janani Suraksha Yojana (under the NRHM, to encourage institutional delivery) stipulates that women who are over 19 years of age and living below the poverty line, are entitled to a cash entitlement upto two live births, however for the third live birth the woman must undergo sterilisation, to avail of the entitlement.
By using the public interest litigation system, which involves taking legal cases in the High and Supreme courts of India, HRLN aims to bring legal remedies to victims who have suffered a violation of their constitutional and human rights, and denial of the implementation of the entitlements set out in various government schemes. HRLN also conducts legal advocacy work on Reproductive Rights and inter-connected rights with various groups i.e. grass root community activists and individuals, non-governmental organisations, academics, medical professions, judiciary and students.
Responsibilities
• Suitable candidate will be working closely within the Reproductive Team based in Delhi on various issues: fact finding missions, drafting and researching legal cases, co-ordinating and liasing with various HRLN offices across India to update on status of cases
• To assist in legal advocacy work being conducted
• Media work: involving writing press releases, following up on media coverage
• Documentation: recording and filing of case work and fact finding
• Website: updating the HRLN website
Required Criteria
• Strong communication skills (both spoken and written) in English and preferably in Hindi
• Ideally a law graduate, or of a medical background (other experienced candidates will also be considered)
• Good research and written skills
• The ability to process large amounts of information quickly and accurately
• Suitable candidate should be able to take direction from supervisors and work well independently, and use own initiative
• Commitment and dedication to furthering human rights
To apply:
Please email a CV with full academic details and work history and two references to:
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