Louise Finer is International Advocacy Manager in the International Legal Program for the Center for Reproductive Rights. She leads the Center’s advocacy work before the United Nations and in other international forums.
Prior to joining the Center in May 2011, Ms. Finer was a researcher on South America at the International Secretariat of Amnesty International where she led the organization’s work on Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay. Previously, she was a senior researcher to the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Health, Paul Hunt, researching maternal mortality in India and helping develop indicators to measure the right to health. Based in Peru, she worked for ARTICLE 19 and a number of national NGOs as well as the prisons team of the Peruvian Truth and Reconciliation Commission. She has extensive research and advocacy experience on sexual and reproductive rights, freedom of information, transitional justice and Indigenous Peoples’ rights. Ms. Finer holds an LLM in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex, and postgraduate diplomas in Governance and Political Management from a joint Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú/George Washington University program, and in Economic, Social and Cultural Rights from a joint Cayetano Heredia University/European Union program. She speaks fluent Spanish and has a working knowledge of French and Portuguese.
This week’s summit is a crucial opportunity to re-invigorate international efforts to provide millions of women with access to the contraception they so desperately need. Yet increasing the availability of contraception is just one aspect of ensuring reproductive health, and cannot be seen in isolation.
Adolescents worldwide lack access to the sexuality education and the comprehensive sexual and reproductive health information and services that play a critical role in their well-being and empowerment. The implementation of the full range of reproductive rights — as fundamental human rights — must be a priority for all countries.
