This year, International Safe Abortion Day profiles the
unstoppable movement that is shaped by the diverse sexual and reproductive
health community around the world, dedicated to protecting and promoting
access to abortion care that is safe, affordable, timely and dignified.
In a series of captivating stories, the World Health Organization together with IBP Network highlights some important key players in this abortion care movement: local nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs). In many parts of the world, these organizations are successfully translating WHO’s research and evidence-based recommendations into concrete actions that support women and girls’ agency and right to health.
Each of these real-life stories highlights how local NGOs and CSOs have adapted and applied WHO recommendations in their various regions, countries, and communities to improve access to safe and person-centred abortion care.
Beyond the guideline: real-life stories and impacts
A range of actions are needed to address barriers to quality abortion care. Many of these actions are directly reflected in the WHO Abortion care guideline, and the WHO/IBP implementation stories provide captivating examples of how these issues have concretely been addressed at country and local level:
1. Decriminalization of abortion and removal of laws and policies that are barriers to access
Our implementation story from PROMSEX showcases how persistent advocacy and litigation strategies were used in Peru to tackle misconceptions that abortion is illegal under all circumstances. Advocates for instance challenged medically unjustified waiting periods, the requirement of approvals from authorities, and efforts to limit the circumstances (or grounds) for when abortion is legally permitted. Advocacy led to a national abortion guideline that acknowledges abortion as a health-care service, and recognizes that safe, timely and respectful abortion can prevent severe and permanent damage to women’s health.
2. Empowering, supporting and protecting abortion care providers
Colombian NGO Profamilia describes how they worked with both medical and administrative staff to address stigma, negative attitudes towards abortion, and conscientious objection, to ensure that abortion seekers are served with respect, empathy and without delays.
3. Ensuring access to self-management of abortion as an option to access medical abortion care
In their implementation story from the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, Vitala Global shares how they worked together with local women and grass-root organizations to co-create a mobile phone app . This “digital self-care companion” supports women throughout the process of self-managing their medical abortions, in the context of a humanitarian crisis and restrictive laws.
4. Ensuring access to post-abortion care
The NGO Reproductive Health Uganda combined a broad range of interventions to prevent unintended pregnancies and unsafe abortions. The organization also increased uptake and quality of post-abortion care, including treatment of unsafe abortions and family planning. Their holistic approach included peer learning, community outreach, and leveraging male champions and religious leaders in the community to raise awareness and reduce stigma about comprehensive abortion care services.
5. Involving and reaching youth to safeguard abortion access for all This year’s International Safe Abortion Day also has a particular focus on the essential role that young people play in championing advocacy for access to quality abortion, and how their fresh and innovative perspectives can accelerate universal access to abortion care.
One such concrete example of how creative and youth-relevant approaches can improve awareness of and access to abortion care, can be found in the implementation story by Hidden Pockets Collective. Their experiences make up an inspiring tale of how an understanding of local social media behaviours and music preferences resulted in the use of Bollywood-style music videos, which helped to raise awareness of the right to sexual and reproductive health services including respectful, affordable and safe abortion.
Collective actions advance sexual and reproductive health and rights
Our five abortion care implementation stories remind us that equitable access to comprehensive abortion care requires multiple actions at different levels – across both the legal and health systems and within specific communities.
They provide vivid examples of how global institutions such as WHO and local organizations together contribute to a movement that keeps making progress – even in the face of concerted efforts to rollback women and girls’ agency and rights – to safeguard health and well-being. Importantly, they are touching testimonies of how access to quality abortion make a real difference in the lives of real women and girls.