The Centre for Health Law, Ethics and听Technology (CHLET) undertook a study听on the right to contraceptive services听and information for women in Haryana.听The primary objective was to delineate听whether the state of Haryana is fulfilling its听obligations to provide women with access听to contraceptive services and information. It听presented findings from a multi-stakeholder听analysis and human rights assessment听of the various policy, social and cultural听barriers that impede women in Haryana听from realizing their fundamental right to听This study undertaken by the CHLET aimed听to determine and analyze the impact of听the landmark judgment of 2 July 2009 by听the Delhi High Court on the lives of sexual听minorities in Delhi. The Court鈥檚 judgment听was in response to a petition challenging the听constitutional validity of Section 377 of the听Indian Penal Code (IPC) which criminalized听consensual sexual activities between听homosexual adults conducted in private.
The judgment held that Section 377 infringed听upon fundamental rights under Articles听14, 15, 21 of the Constitution of India, and听declared the section to be unconstitutional听to the extent that it criminalized private听consensual sexual activity between adults.听The research conducted for this study听consisted primarily of personal interviews听with members of the LGBT community.听Researchers interacted with individuals 听belonging to different sexual minorities who听described their lives before and after 2 July听2009. The findings of the interviews were听compiled and correlated along with similar听studies conducted in other parts of the听world to provide a global picture, showing听that decriminalization consistently leads to听a rise in the level of social acceptance,听and听more importantly, self-acceptance of sexual听minorities. This impact assessment is the听first of its kind in India and provides valuable听first-hand accounts of LGBT life pre- and听post-decriminalization. The findings of this听report clearly show that the Delhi High Court听judgment has positively impacted the LGBT听community and has improved the quality听of life of sexual minorities. The report was published in March 2012.
