18 INTEGRATING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS INTO THE WORK OF NATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS INSTITUTIONS OF THE ASIA PACIFIC REGION Over 80% of respondents agreed or strongly agreed that the following structural and cultural factors were obstacles to protecting and promoting reproductive rights: l Cultural legitimacy/sensitivities l Religious sensitivities l Gender inequality l Lack of education l Poverty/Economic inequalities While there was no clear consensus found in the questionnaire responses on whether political and institutional factors were obstacles, a stronger picture emerged from the follow-up discussions, as discussed at Part 2.4.2 as well as Parts 4.1 and 4.2 below. 2.4.1 Culture and religion are seen as major impediments to integration of reproductive rights Most respondents identified conservative culture and religion as factors that directly limited the extent to which they are able to engage effectively in the area of reproductive rights. In follow-up discussions, respondents expressed a general feeling that culture and religion are often antagonistic to reproductive rights and that working on these issues risks a backlash that may well compromise the reputation, credibility or future work of the institution. More than half of all respondents noted that issues of culture and religion went beyond the immediate concern of reproductive rights: contributing, in a broader sense, to the maintenance of laws, structures and practices that fail to protect the rights of vulnerable groups including women and children. In follow-up discussions, most respondents noted that religious and cultural sensitivities around reproductive rights require them to work in different, often innovative ways. Several examples are provided in Part 3 below. 2.4.2 Other obstacles include competing priorities, limited resources and lack of expertise When questioned about other obstacles to the effective integration of reproductive rights, several respondents pointed to competing priorities. For some NHRIs, internal armed conflict or other pressing national emergencies have forced them to ruthlessly prioritise. As a result, there has been no time, energy or resources to devote to “non-core” issues such as reproductive rights. It is well established that the traditional focus of the human rights system on civil and political rights (at the expense of economic, social and cultural rights) has carried over to NHRIs.24 While See Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Economic, Social and Cultural Rights: Handbook for National Human Rights Institutions, UN Sales No. E.04/XIV.8 (2005). 24