International

Indigenous and Filipino Women are Leading the Fight for Reproductive Justice in Guam

"Picture this: A 12-year-old girl is raped and impregnated, and because there are no abortion providers within 4,000 miles of where she lives, she must carry the pregnancy to term. It doesn’t sound like something that could happen in the United States, right? But for the people of Guåhan, what is more commonly known as the U.S. unincorporated territory of Guam, this was the reality in 2019, even when Roe v. Wade was still law. That year, the only abortion provider on the island retired — and it was this story that sparked the creation of Famalao’an Rights, a reproductive justice initiative fighting for…
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Russia limits women’s access to abortion, citing demographic changes

"...Terminating a pregnancy is a legal and widely available procedure in Russia, but in recent weeks and months, a flurry of new laws appear to limit abortion access amid fears of further population declines and a push towards conservatism. In August and November, two Russian regions – Mordovia and Tver – passed laws punishing anyone found to “coerce” women into abortions. In October, lawmakers approved legislation restricting access to abortion drugs, measures that could also affect the sale of some contraceptives...."
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Polish Left Submits Bills To Liberalise Abortion Law

"Poland's leftists, part of a coalition in control of the new parliament, said on Tuesday they had submitted two bills to liberalise one of Europe's most restrictive abortion laws. Abortion in the majority-Catholic country is currently legal only if the pregnancy results from sexual assault or incest or threatens the life or health of the woman. "One of them provides for full legalisation of the right to terminate a pregnancy until the 12th week," Left lawmaker Anna Maria Zukowska told AFP. "The other is a bill decriminalising abortion assistance," she added. The draft legislation was submitted on Monday, when Poland's…
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Her body, her choice: Why a woman’s right to terminate her pregnancy must be upheld

For abortions within 24 weeks of gestation, there is no legal requirement for pregnant persons to approach courts for permission. Yet, the petitioner in a recent case was forced to approach the Supreme Court, as healthcare providers disregarded her decisional autonomy to terminate her pregnancy.
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New bill introduces world’s most extreme abortion buffer zone law to Scotland

The Catholic Church in Scotland has warned that a draft law concerning buffer zones around abortion clinics would “crush” freedom of expression and religion. The new bill, sponsored by Gillian Mackay, member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP), would make any form of pro-life outreach or demonstration within 200 meters (656 feet) of an abortion clinic illegal, meaning that the new law would be the “most extreme” in the world, according to pro-life organizations.
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As Mexico expands abortion access, activists support reproductive rights at U.S. border

TIJUANA, Mexico (AP) — It’s Sunday night and Crystal P. Lira is not answering her messages. Inside the headquarters of Colectiva Bloodys y Projects, an organization that has supported reproductive rights near the U.S.-Mexico border since 2016, her only concern is for the woman she has provided with a safe space to get an abortion.
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Brazil’s Supreme Court considers decriminalizing abortion

"Brazil's highest court is debating whether to decriminalize abortions that occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Why it matters: In Brazil, Latin America's most populous country, religion runs deep, yet polling shows support for a total ban has waned. The country could follow in the footsteps of other major Latin American countries that have expanded abortion rights over the past few years...."
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In Argentina, election fight brews over women’s rights and abortion

 "Argentina's presidential election race is putting abortion access and women's rights in the spotlight, sparking fierce debate in a country that has been a pioneer in expanding reproductive rights in Latin America. The election frontrunner, economist Javier Milei, opposes abortion and wants to hold a referendum on whether the 2020 legalization of abortion before the 14th week of pregnancy should be repealed. He also wants to shut the ministry of women, gender and diversity, which he has called a type of "affirmative action" that is degrading towards women. His closest contenders are economy minister Sergio Massa for the incumbent Peronists and…
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Thousands of women march in Latin American cities calling for abortion rights

"The streets of cities across Latin America were bathed in green Thursday as tens of thousands of women marched to commemorate International Safe Abortion Day. Latin American feminists have spent decades fighting to roll back strict prohibitions, although there are still few countries with a total ban, like El Salvador and Dominican Republic..."
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Poland’s ‘witch hunt’ of women and girls

"...Women and girls have been put under intense scrutiny for alleged abortion-related activity when they seek urgent health care. Joanna, a 32-year-old woman, told HRW that the police demanded to strip search her in April after she had a self-administered medication abortion, which is legal. Two weeks later, she called her psychiatrist for help with symptoms of severe anxiety. During the call, she disclosed her abortion to her psychiatrist, who called an ambulance and contacted the police. Police arrived at Joanna’s apartment alongside a paramedic and escorted her to two different hospitals. At the second one, she was ordered to…
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