For more detailed information click here:
Download HeRWAI
HeRWAI is available in English, Spanish, Indonesian and Russian
Oxford Journal article on HeRWAI
Read the 2009 article in Oxford Journal of Human Rights Practice
Health rights of women
- ©IRIN
Aim for human rights – together with local partner organisations - stands up for health rights of women. We developed a practical manual: the Health Rights of Women Assessment Instrument (HeRWAI). HeRWAI helps organisations to systematically analyse the actual effects of policies aimed to improve the enjoyment of women's right to health. Such an analysis provides organisations with strong arguments to lobby their governments for concrete actions to improve the situation. HeRWAI is based on CEDAW (UN Convention for the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination Against Women) and the International Convention on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.
HeRWAI manual
The HeRWAI manual has been distributed amongst hundreds of civil society organizations around the world. HeRWAI is available online free of charge in English, Spanish, Indonesian and Russian. In response to user requests, a Nepali translation was made and French and Portuguese translations are on the way. HeRWAI offers a step-by-step method with questions, examples and suggestions on where to find information. The organisation using HeRWAI chooses which questions are most pertinent in the local situation, finds the information needed to answer these questions, and based on the answers develops recommendations and an action plan.
Training
To introduce this method, Aim for human rights organises introduction trainings. In various countries, local trainers have been trained. These trainers can help organisations that want to work with HeRWAI get started. Aim for human rights also offers 3-day workshops in which participants can conduct a shorter HeRWAI analysis.
Application of HeRWAI
Since the publication of the HeRWAI manual at the end of 2006, many organisations use it in their work. They applied the tool to combat maternal mortality, to improve the situation of sex workers, to defend the right to maternal leave and to arrange better education on sexual and reproductive rights. The results of some HeRWAI studies can be found here. In a few countries, HeRWAI analyses have led to changes in both policy and law. Organisations have also pointed to the way in which working with HeRWAI has helped them to see the relationship between the theory of human rights and their daily, practical work. They employ this knowledge in various aspects of their work.
Babu Ram Gautam, Nepal Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC)
“HeRWAI works on two levels: first, it helps to empower community women, because the information you get gives women knowledge on issues of women’s health rights. Secondly, it strengthens our advocacy: we have evidence based on research and the law.”
Interested in working with HeRWAI?
For more information on health rights of women and HeRWAI contact Marije Nederveen by phone +31 (0)30 233 40 27 or e-mail. At the online database www.humanrightsimpact.org detailed information on HeRWAI and recent case studies can be found here.
