The decision and choice on whether to have children, when to have them, how many children to have and in what intervals, belongs to and is the sole right of a woman. No woman should be forced to continue a pregnancy against her will or face life, health or legal risks as a result of wanting or having an abortion. Women’s right to abortion is rooted in international human rights standards, which guarantee the rights to life, health, privacy and non-discrimination. Achieving the right and access to safe abortion requires challenging not just ideological views of women as instruments of reproduction and caretakers of children but also views of women as anything less than full human beings with equal dignity and rights.
This volume of Arrow highlights various perspectives and voices from the ground on the right to safe abortion. It analyses the discourse on abortion as an issue of rights, and bodily autonomy of women and looks at the neo-legal, non-legal and contextual barriers to access to abortion that is prevalent in many countries in the region. Read about the diverse voices and stories from the ground as they speak out for abortion rights and share their lived experiences from countries like Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Nepal, Ireland and others. You will also find a piece on Poland delivered by the director of the Federation, Krystyna Kacpura.
