While India is one of the few countries yet to criminalize marital rape, the high court recently ruled that victims of marital rape are entitled to a safe and legal abortion, establishing in Indian law that non-consensual sex can and does exist among married partners.
The WHO's new guidelines can serve as an authoritative confirmation for what American reproductive rights activists have always known: abortion is essential healthcare.
In a culture that can see girls as a burden, many women opt to abort their female fetuses — even though it's illegal.
About 400 women on average are prosecuted every year in the Andean country, blocking eligible women from accessing safe, timely, and free abortions. Underage girls are not exempt from such criminal prosecution and face sweeping sanctions, from restricted movement to mandatory community service, if convicted.
While President Biden’s memorandum provides a welcome change to the dangerous situation established by the Trump administration, it only partly restores the status quo of four years ago. The timing, presentation, and language of the actions indicate that abortion rights advocates will have to continue to fight to make abortion rights a bigger priority for the Biden administration.
A new study predicts that there will be 6.8 million fewer female births compared to male births in India between 2017 to 2030, due to the country’s strong preference for sons and falling fertility rates.
After a tumultuous two weeks in which abortion services were supposed to be operational yet remained inaccessible through Northern Ireland’s health service, the Department of Health said medical professionals were now permitted to "terminate pregnancies lawfully."
Zimbabwe's maternal mortality crisis is pushing the debate on abortion, but the current economic crisis and stigma stand in the way of legalization.
The Trump administration’s latest use of domestic politics to hold international rights hostage will cost women's lives.
The Irish government announced in September they would hold a referendum on the 8th Amendment in mid-2018—a long-awaited move by many in the country. The announcement followed years of campaigning by pro-choice organizations in Ireland.
Women around the world continue to struggle not only with draconian laws that deny them ownership of their own bodies, but also the threat of hard-won rights being rolled back. Here, we take a look at some of the places around the world that are playing the long game for abortion reform.
I remember I was 5 years old as I watched my mother repeatedly climb to the highest part of the bed only to jump right back off again. I was confused. I could see that she was in emotional and physical pain. I was sad for her.
The recent Lancet Series on Maternal Health confirms a well-established reality: The majority of preventable maternal deaths continue to occur in areas affected by humanitarian crisis, largely as a result of poor maternal care. But this reminder is also accompanied by a chronic offense. Contraception is not given the spotlight it deserves.
Last week, Human Rights Watch released a report on the campaign of rape being waged in Iraq by the Islamic State (ISIS) and called for medical and psychological help for the survivors. The organization interviewed 20 women and girls in the Iraqi town of Dohuk who escaped captivity by the militant group, and also spoke to medical workers who are doing their best to help the survivors.