decriminalization of abortion a human rights imperative

Unsafe abortion is a maternal health crisis in countries where abortion is illegal or difficult to access, leading to 47,000 preventable deaths each year, according to the World Health Organization. The decriminalization of abortion is a public health and human rights imperative I would like to present two fundamental reasons why decriminalizing abortion is essential to protecting the human . Colorado's Abortion Ban Would Have a Lasting Impact Across the Border. Consultant to Review the Campaign for Decriminalization of Abortion in Africa. 2013;8(5):e64775 ; Decriminalization of Abortion in Nepal: Imperative to Uphold Women's Rights, by Center for Reproductive Rights, Forum for Women, Law and Development, 2 June 2021. Joanna N. Erdman and Rebecca J. Cook, "Decriminalization of abortion - A human rights imperative," Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology 62 (Jan. 2020): 11-24. Human rights mechanisms have called for these laws to be repealed or eliminated.18 In calling for the decriminalization of abortion, human rights mechanisms have recognized that such laws can target women and girls who undergo abortion, as well as service providers, and that all such laws should be removed.19 The Human Rights . As Erdman and Cook note, as a result of the many dysfunctions of current laws, "the human rights consensus has moved towards the decriminalization of abortion, that is, the repeal of criminal abortion laws and generally, the removal of abortion as a legitimate subject of criminal law.". Decriminalization of abortion-a human rights imperative. Save women's lives by supporting this bill to decriminalize abortion. Download: Decriminalization of Abortion in Nepal_02June021_ Final Version. • The centrality of upholding individuals' human rights, including the rights to self-determination, agency, and bodily autonomy, in order to achieve reproductive justice (9) ; and •The resulting imperative of ensuring universal access to safe and legal abortion services, as a fundamental part The Dominican Republic's current legislation that outlaws abortion under all circumstances causes a serious and urgent public health problem, leading to avoidable deaths of women and pregnant people, generally from the most vulnerable sectors of the population. . By Susan Yoshihara, Ph.D. | September 15, 2011. restrictive abortion laws which have persisted or are being newly passed and give deference to a societal interest in gestation in preference to protecting the woman's right to life, health and her other human rights. Fine, JD, MIA, is a consultant on sexual and reproductive rights HUMAN RIGHTS PRIORITIES FOR THE NEW . HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. The calls for decriminalization of abortion do not address the question of regulation of termination of pregnancy, in general, and after the first trimester, in particular. Several human rights are relevant for women's right to abortion (see Table) 2. Right now, human rights activists across the Dominican Republic are demanding that the reform of the country's criminal code includes the protection of LGBTIQ+ rights and the decriminalization of abortion in three limited circumstances: when the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl, when the fetus could not survive . 39, n. 2 (2002), pp. The Decriminalization of Abortion: A Human Rights Imperative This six-pager from the Sexual Rights Initiative lays out the fundamental right to abortion from an international law perspective; how criminalization leads to the denial of women's fundamental rights to life, to health, to bodily autonomy, to freedom from torture, and to freedom . Recent legal changes in a number of jurisdictions that have entirely decriminalised abortion are steeped in the language of gender constitutionalism and human rights - whether these . Noting that over 70 countries still consider homosexuality a crime, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appealed for its complete and universal decriminalization, stressing that human rights must always trump cultural attitudes and societal strictures. Abortion rights advocates from a wide number of human and women's rights groups organized mass demonstrations across the country in support of that vote, donning green handkerchiefs to signify . Abortion in the Context of COVID-19: A Human Rights Imperative, 28 Sexual and Reproductive Health Matters 1 (2020) (with Payal K. Shah) Abortion Bans Strip People of Their Human Rights: Here's Why We Must Stand in Solidarity Against Them, Time Magazine, Sept. 27, 2019 (with Uma Mishra-Newbery) Abstract and article. 13-27; M. Berer and L. Hoggart, "Progress toward decriminalization of abortion and universal access to safe abortion: National trends and strategies," Health and Human Rights Journal 21/2 (2019), pp. Retrieved from: Decriminalization of abortion - A human rights imperative - ScienceDirect The decriminalization of abortion is not a concession to women; it is a human rights imperative that Argentina has been ignoring for years. Abortion rights beyond the medico-legal paradigm Mariana Prandini Assis a and Joanna N. Erdmanb aFaculty of Social Sciences, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, Brazil; bSchulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada ABSTRACT Abortion rights in international law have historically been framed within a The official title of the event was, "Decriminalization of Abortion: A human rights imperative." The meeting was also addressed by representatives from . . Today, 28 September, marks the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion. Minor premise = Human life begins with fertilization. Geneva; Tuesday Sept 18 th at the 24 th session of UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Permanent Mission of Finland hosted a side event, urging the global decriminalization and legalization of abortion. Global Overview. # Join the conversation, use the following hashtags: Contact Information Forum for Women, Law and Developement - FWLD Head Office 72 Adarsha Marg, Thapathali Kathmandu, Nepal Tel . These three rulings provided the most comprehensive constitutional framework of protection for the right to . E-Book Overview The government of Alberta in the 1990s actively contested the legal rights of sexual minority citizens. The Decriminalization of Abortion: A Human Rights Imperative This six-pager from the Sexual Rights Initiative lays out the fundamental right to abortion from an international law perspective; how criminalization leads to the denial of women's fundamental rights to life, to health, to bodily autonomy, to freedom from torture, and to freedom . The criminalization of abortion in El Salvador denies women their rights to control their bodies and to access reproductive health services that would enable them to enjoy healthy lives.5. The reframing of abortion as an issue of women's health rather than foetal rights was crucial to the success of law reform efforts. Cook and Dickens, 'Human Rights Dynamics of Abortion Law Reform' (2003) 25 Human Rights Quarterly 1; Hill, 'Reproductive Rights as Health Care Rights' (2008) 18 Columbia Journal of Gender and Law 1; Lindgren, 'The Rhetoric of Choice: Restoring Healthcare to the Abortion Right' (2012) 64 Hastings Law Journal 385. Abortion law and policy around the world: in search of decriminalization. The recent Supreme Court ruling in Mexico revoking the anti-abortion laws, provides us with a defining moment of success in these bleak times[1]. Argentina's Senate will likely vote Thursday on a historic bill that would legalize abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. INDEX: AFR 01/5511/2017 support the decriminalization of abortion worldwide and use multilateral spaces to promote normative guidance urging the decriminalization of abortion. This is of utmost importance as the concept of a right to abortion as women's human rights is not clearly understood. Provincial premier Ralph Klein defended this position by claiming that most Albertans, whom he characterized as "severely normal," were not in favor of recognizing homosexuality as a protected category in the provincial human rights code. He described a global trend toward expanding . We present the timeline of relevant Canadian legal, political, and policy events before and since decriminalization. implacably opposed to liberalizing abortion law and do not take the human rights of women seriously. 4 . Human rights mechanisms had started from a hesitant approach to the liberalization of termination Canadians who travel to the United States for abortion care will be deeply impacted by Colorado's Proposition 115. This day marks the struggle of activists worldwide for the human right to safe and legal abortion. human rights reports is key to mainstream and elevate these issues across foreign policy. And at the Human Rights Committee and other UN spaces, regressive coalitions are pushing to co-opt the right to life to further anti-abortion politics. Decriminalization of homosexuality. On 18 th January 2016, the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) through the mechanism of the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa officially launched the Campaign for the Decriminalization of Abortion in Africa to bring attention to unsafe abortion which poses a serious threat to women's and girl's rights to sexual and reproductive health. See also, Report of . It is imperative that . Decriminalizing abortion is not a concession made to women: it is a human-rights imperative that Argentina has been violating for years. The imperative to protect prenatal . International and regional human rights bodies have gone beyond these consensus documents in recognizing abortion as a human rights imperative and acknowledging the range of human rights violations that stem from restrictive abortion laws and lack of access to safe abortion services. health as a human rights imperative, Mexico City revolutionized abortion practice in Latin America by making access to safe and affordable abortions a reality.' Part II of this Article focuses on the historical backdrop to the 2007 reforms, both in Mexico and globally. The Decriminalization of Abortion: A Human Rights Imperative Prepared by August 2013 . [15] Next, we outline why repealing the crime of . First, the international normative framework relating to abortion is studied. Joanna N. Erdman and Rebecca J. Cook, "Decriminalization of abortion - A human rights imperative," Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology 62 (Jan. 2020): 11-24. 5 "All human . Download: HIV and Human Rights. As these human rights norms further evolve and increasingly recognize abortion as a human rights imperative, these standards have the potential to bolster transformative jurisprudence and law and policy reform advancing women's and girls' full reproductive autonomy. The Limits of Conscientious Objection and the Right to Abortion in Mexico. decriminalization of abortion in Africa. The Center for Reproductive Rights Asia team is playing a significant role this month at Safe Abortion Dialogue-Asia, a virtual conference focused on developing strategies to reduce barriers and expand access to safe abortion care in the region.. The country has progressive laws in areas such as equal marriage, gender identity, assisted . Human rights standards require the decriminalization of abortion, at a minimum, on three grounds: where pregnancy presents a risk to the life or health of the pregnant person, where pregnancy results from sexual crime (i.e., rape, sexual assault, or incest), and where there is a risk of serious fetal impairment [28; 23, ¶72b]. On 18 th January 2016, the African Commission on Human and People's Rights (ACHPR) through the mechanism of the . "Our government must comply with its international human rights obligation to decriminalize abortion as a means for women to have access to safe abortion, emergency abortion care, and post-abortion care," Padilla shared. Background. The decriminalization of abortion is a necessary step for human rights to become () . Conclusion = The fertilized egg is sacred and inviolable human life . below) supporting decriminalization of abortion in all circumstances, suggest . —Mara Malagodi, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Faculty of Law [Editors' Note: This is one of our biweekly ICONnect columns.For more information on our four columnists for 2021, please see here.]. Decriminalization of Abortion in Nepal: Imperative to Uphold Women's Rights. Publications. Decriminalization of Abortion in Nepal_02June021_ Final Version. Decriminalization of abortion is the removal of abortion from the criminal law. Human rights and public health standards reinforce the decriminalization of abortion as an imperative for guaranteeing access to safe abortion services and enabling women and girls to exercise their human rights. London, England, Dec 10, 2019 / 06:01 pm ().-Every voter and politician must resist attacks on the right to life, and Catholic politicians must do so as both a human rights matter and as a . SAMPLE LETTER. Chile is one of the few countries in the world where abortion is criminalized under all circumstances. Effects of abortion legalization in Nepal, 2001-2010. [15] Next, we outline why repealing the crime of . The "pro-life" activists argue against decriminalization of abortion in Chile on the following grounds: Major premise = Human life is sacred and therefore inviolable. PLACE HUMAN RIGHTS AT THE CENTRE OF CONFLICT . Nonetheless, there is still considerable progress to be made in this regard, as criminal penalties for abortion still remain . Regulating abortion as a standard medical procedure. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 62, 11-24. Washington Post: The Senate in Argentina must vote to decriminalize abortion Mariela Belski, executive director of Amnesty International Argentina "Argentina is only days away from becoming a . Shameful. Oct 29, 2020, 11:03am Robyn Schwarz. Women's right to abortion 1. Several Latin American and Islamic states issued formal reservations to the Cairo Program of Action due to If you live in Canada and need an abortion after 24 weeks, you must travel to one of a handful of sites in the United States. Health and human rights, 19 (1), 13. de Medeiros Guimarães, A. C., & da Silva Ramos, K. (2017). FEELINGS OF WOMEN IN THE EXPERIENCE OF LEGAL ABORTION DUE TO SEXUAL VIOLENCE. Journal of Nursing UFPE/Revista de Enfermagem UFPE, 11 (6). SOURCES: The Week, 7 August 2021 ; PLoS ONE, by JT Henderson, M Puri, M Blum, CC Harper, A Rana, et al. Abstract and article. demands are a human rights imperative for the Dominican Republic and must be approved. Treaty monitoring bodies also recognize access to abortion as a human right. In testimony before Congress on May 31, 2018, Vivanco said that the decriminalization of abortion is a public health and human rights imperative. Best Practice & Research Clinical Obstetrics & Gynaecology, 62, 11-24. In the region and the rest of the world, Argentina has been admired for its human rights policy since the 1980s. Drug Decriminalization in Portugal: 4 Learning from a Health and Human-Centered Approach www.drugpolicy.org The Portuguese Decriminalization Model The Portuguese national government adopted the majority of the committee's recommendations, passed an accompanying law (Law no. Decriminalization of abortion is the removal of abortion from the criminal law. "An Interesting Condition: The Abortion Pastels of Paula Rego," in Luso-Brazilian Review, Vol. Historically, African abortion laws are largely bequests from . Johanna B. Publications. This six-page position paper from the Sexual Rights Initiative lays out the fundamental right to abortion from an international legal perspective. Statement of Civil Society Network on Citizenship Rights. Today, September 28th, marks the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion . 1. "Our government must comply with its international human rights obligation to decriminalize abortion as a means for women to have access to safe abortion, emergency abortion care, and post-abortion care," Padilla shared. Reproductive justice activists were particularly inspired by how the United Nations conceptualizes human rights, as simply stated in Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: "Everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person" (Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948).The UN delineates three broad categories of human rights: 1) civil and political rights; 2 . The new law, enacted in 2018, provides for access to abortion on a woman's request up to 12 weeks of pregnancy and in situations of risk to the life or of serious harm to the health of the pregnant woman and fatal . The Decriminalization of Abortion: A Human Rights Imperative The Airlie Declaration on Safe Legal Abortion Krystyna Kacpura, Federation for Women and Family Planning & ASTRA Network at HRC39 During the sleepiest time at the UN, the Secretary General saw fit to release a major policy document calling for universal decriminalization of abortion as an imperative of human rights and human dignity. It is thus imperative that the consolidation of gains made and the bold defence of human rights feature prominently in the new AUC chairperson's priority list. We assess implications for clinical care, health service and systems decisions, health policy, and the epidemiology of abortion in the absence of . 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