In 1995 the Fourth World Conference on Women (Beijing) Platform for Action put forward the groundbreaking concept that the right of women to control their sexuality—the basis for sexual rights—is an indivisible part of their human rights, and that without it, women cannot fully realize their other human rights. This notion has been reaffirmed at several subsequent international meetings, but in practice, few countries' laws and policies provide women with effective protection against coercion, discrimination, and violence, and fundamentalist states and movements all over the world consistently target women's sexual and reproductive autonomy.

Our resources on human rights and sexuality include articles on violence against women, as well as the human rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities, sex workers, and other populations whose bodily autonomy is threatened by laws and policies that impact how they express their sexualities.

Browse our resources on human rights and sexuality below.