January 16, 2007                                             Support the Center now! A MESSAGE FROM NANCY NORTHUP, PRESIDENT OF THE CENTER Dear Friend and Supporter, As the New Year begins, we are excited about moving forward. We are invigorated by our substantial victories, and ready to face the many challenges that 2007 holds. Our top-notch attorneys are dedicated to securing reproductive freedom for women and adolescents all over the world, and in the upcoming year will accelerate our groundbreaking work even further. We will litigate to advance reproductive rights in courts across the globe, and fight back against backsliding in the U.S. We will seek to further embed the concept that reproductive rights are human rights into law in the U.S. and around the world. As we continue our work on behalf of women and adolescents, we know that we cannot do this work alone. Thank you for your continued support, and happy New Year! Sincerely, Nancy Northup President, Center for Reproductive Rights MORE EVIDENCE EMERGES IN CENTER'S CASE AGAINST THE FDA; "THE WHITE HOUSE WAS INVOLVED..." The White House accused the Center of going on a "fishing expedition" when we subpoenaed documents pertaining to the emergency contraceptive Plan B. But a few weeks later, on December 11, yet another official from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration testified that the White House had played an improper role in the FDA's decision-making around Plan B. The decision to reject Plan B "was not one that [former FDA Commissioner] McClellan had made on his own but...the White House was involved," Dr. Sandra Kweder, Deputy Director of the FDA's Office of New Drugs, told Center attorneys. Click here to learn more > > NEPAL ADOPTS INTERIM CONSTITUTION RECOGNIZING REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS In September, the Center celebrated when Nepal drafted an interim constitution recognizing every woman's reproductive rights as fundamental. On December 16, Nepal adopted the constitution, taking the next step toward granting women freedom to make reproductive health decisions and to access comprehensive health care. Nepal is now the first country in the region to explicitly recognize a woman's reproductive rights as fundamental in a national constitution. "This commitment must now be translated into reality through concrete policy measures," said Melissa Upreti, Legal Adviser for Asia, who had submitted recommendations to the drafting committee. Click here to learn more > > NEW TOOL FOR ADVOCATES AROUND THE WORLD Gaining Ground, a resource guide published by the Center, helps advocates translate reproductive rights principles into concrete guidance for national law reform. Covering nine topics, Gaining Ground provides examples of recently adopted laws and policies from around the world that help advance reproductive rights. Topics range from safe pregnancy and childbirth to contraception, HIV/AIDS, and female genital mutilation, among others. Now available from the Center's online bookstore or for free as a PDF file > > CENTER PUBLISHES NEW REPORT ON USING LITIGATION TO PROMOTE GENDER JUSTICE IN INDIA In India, gender-biased practices severely undermine women's reproductive rights, confronting women with a range of human rights abuses that breach fundamental provisions of the Indian Constitution and international conventions. The Center's new publication shows how various actors can use litigation to help ensure that the government upholds its obligations to protect women and provide justice to those whose rights have been violated. Now available from the Center's online bookstore or for free as a PDF file > >