International – REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS ALERTS

07 Sep

Poland eases abortion access with new guidelines for doctors under a restrictive law

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Access, Guidelines for doctors, legislation, New guidelines, Poland

"Seeking to ease access to abortion for women needing to end a pregnancy for health reasons, Poland's government is issuing guidelines to doctors Friday that reaffirm the legality of such procedures, based on medical recommendations. Under the current law, abortions for health reasons are permitted but the previous conservative government limited some other qualifying circumstances, leading to mass street protests and heightening the reluctance of doctors to expose themselves to a possible prosecution...."

30 Aug

‘Crisis pregnancy centers’ sue Massachusetts for campaign targeting their anti-abortion practices

MollyInternational, United StatesAnti-abortion practices, Campaign, crisis pregnancy centers, Lawsuit, Massachusetts, United States

"Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey launched a $1 million taxpayer-funded initiative in June designed to discourage people from seeking help from “crisis pregnancy centers” that are typically religiously affiliated and counsel clients against having abortions. The campaign includes ads on social media, billboards, radio and buses warning people to avoid the centers — which the administration dubbed “anti-abortion” — saying they're not to be trusted for comprehensive reproductive health care...."

28 Aug

Anti-abortion group sends flyers in support of N.B.’s parental rights policies

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAnti-abortion group, Canada, New Brunswick, Parental consent, Trans Rights, Transgender Rights

“A national anti-abortion group that sent out flyers accusing schools of "pushing transgenderism" plans to distribute more material to support Premier Blaine Higgs when he campaigns for re-election this fall. The flyers from Campaign Life Coalition, which were distributed across New Brunswick, also compare gender-affirming medical care — legal in New Brunswick for those over 18 or with parental permission — to "chemical and surgical mutilation."…”

12 Aug

Poland’s Abortion Reform Stalls as Coalition Politics Clash with Campaign Promises

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion laws, abortion reform, Health care, Poland

“Nearly a year after new Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk promised a fresh start for abortion rights, following his election victory in October 2023, reform efforts have stalled as campaign promises collide with the realities of coalition politics in a divided Poland. Poland is amongst only four countries worldwide to have restricted abortion rights in the past three decades, joining El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the United States. In 2020, Poland’s Constitutional Tribunal, stacked with judges appointed by the right-wing Law and Justice (PiS) party, further tightened the country’s already strict 1993 abortion law….”

06 Aug

Italy’s abortion divisions sharpen under Meloni’s leadership

MollyInternational, Latest Newsabortion division, Anti-abortion, Giorgia Meloni, Italy

“With Giorgia Meloni, Italy has probably the most openly anti-abortion prime minister in western Europe, but terminating pregnancies in the majority-Catholic country that hosts the Vatican has never been easy. When Linda Feki, a 33-year-old singer and musician from Naples, posted her account of stigma and abuse in undergoing the procedure, she received heartfelt messages of support from many Italian women who identified with her experience….”

01 Aug

Indonesia Legalizes First Trimester Abortions in Cases of Rape or Medical Emergency

MollyInternational, Latest News14 weeks, Abortion Care, emergency abortion, first trimester, Health care, Indonesia, Rape exception

“Indonesia will allow women to have an abortion up to 14 weeks gestation in some instances, from six weeks previously, as part of regulatory changes aimed at arresting one of Southeast Asia’s highest rates of maternal mortality. The new rule, signed into law by President Joko Widodo this week, follows demands from women’s rights activists and health-care practitioners who argue that the previous rule was too restrictive in cases of rape, leading some women and girls to be jailed for terminations beyond six weeks….”

04 Jul

Dominican Republic’s Senate Doubles Down on Abortion Ban in Criminal Code

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Ban, Bill, Criminal Code, Dominican Republic, LGBT+, Senate

"A deeply problematic bill for a new Criminal Code is now approaching final approval in the Dominican Republic's Senate. The bill, which the Senate approved on first review on June 26, maintains the country's complete ban on abortion. It also reduces penalties for sexual violence within marriage, classified as ‘non-consensual sexual activity,’ and continues to exclude sexual orientation from the list of characteristics protected from discrimination, thus failing to afford equal protection to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people. The Dominican Republic is one of only five countries in Latin America and the Caribbean that maintains a total prohibition on abortion and imposes incarceration for women and…

18 Jun

Brazilian women protest bill that would equate late abortions with homicide

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Rights, Bill, Brazil, Healthcare, Late Abortion, legislation, Protest

"Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets of São Paulo on Saturday as protests sweep across Brazil in opposition to a bill that would further criminalize abortions. If passed, the law would equate the termination of a pregnancy after 22 weeks with homicide. The bill, proposed by conservative lawmakers and heading for a vote in the lower house, would also apply in cases of rape. Critics say those who seek an abortion so late are mostly child rape victims, as their pregnancies tend to be detected later...."

18 Jun

First hospital fined for refusing to provide abortion under new Polish government rules

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Care, fined, Healthcare, Hospital, Legal abortion, Poland

"A hospital has been fined for refusing to provide a legal abortion in the first such case since the government recently introduced a requirement for publicly funded medical centres to offer such procedures. Health minister Izabela Leszczyna announced on Monday that the Pabianice Medical Center was fined 550,000 zloty (€126,300). She revealed that audit proceedings regarding two other medical facilities are also in the “final stages” and that they are also likely to be penalised."

13 Jun

EU Policy. Meloni’s attempt to dilute G7 abortion declaration ires diplomats

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion declaration, Canadian, Europe, french, G7 Summit, Italy

"Negotiations over the final declaration wording of the G7 summit — which will be held in Italy from Thursday until Saturday — are underway, but sources have told Euronews that members of the group of rich nations are at odds over a sidebar clause on abortion rights. French and Canadian delegations are pushing for an addition to the text in which leaders “affirm the importance of preserving and ensuring effective access to safe and legal abortion and post-abortion care”, according to a draft text seen by Euronews...."

12 Jun

South Korea Still Blocking Abortion

MollyInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Care, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Court, South Korea, Women on Web

"Years after a South Korean court ordered the government to respect the right to access abortion care, South Korean women and girls are still unable to get this necessary sexual and reproductive service. On May 17, a South Korean court rejected an appeal by Women on Web (WoW), a nongovernmental organization that provides information on sexual and reproductive health and rights, and Open Net Korea, a digital rights civil society organization, to unblock the WoW website. The Korea Communications Standards Commission blocked the website in 2019, claiming it violated the country’s Pharmaceutical Affairs Act by connecting women in need of abortion pills, which have not been legalized in the country,…

08 Jun

The Ministry of Health and Prevention (MOHAP) has announced the defined cases of permissible abortion and their controls and procedures to preserve the pregnant woman’s life.

AnnetteInternational, Latest NewsAbortion Ban, Abortion Care, Abortion Pills, Abortion Rights, Dubai, Healthcare, International Abortion News, legislation, MOHAP, Permissible Bortion, travel, United Arab Emirates

The Ministry has affirmed that new controls and procedures were issued to define and regulate cases of permissible abortion in the UAE. The new regulation requires abortion requests to be made by a dedicated committee that will be formed within each health authority by a decision of MOHAP or the head of the emirate’s health authority. The Committee should comprise of an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, a psychiatry specialist, and a representative of the Public Prosecution.

17 Apr

UN report points to yawning gap of inequality in sexual and reproductive health worldwide

BarbraInternational, Latest NewsHealthcare, Inequity, Reproductive Health Care, Worldwide

A new study says an African woman is roughly 130 times more likely to die from pregnancy and childbirth complications than a woman in Europe or North America, the U.N. population fund reported Wednesday as it decried widening inequality in sexual and reproductive health and rights worldwide.

12 Apr

Challenging harmful masculinities and engaging men and boys in sexual and reproductive health

BarbraInternational, Latest NewsGender Norms, International, Reproductive Health Care

More research is needed to address the impact of harmful masculinities on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), according to a new priority research agenda drawing on a global survey of researchers that was published today in The Lancet Global Health. Harmful gender norms affect boys and men in many ways, for example by increasing risky behaviours such as substance use or unprotected sex, or by causing negative attitudes and practices towards women. However, research on engaging men and boys has often neglected how to address harmful masculinities in ways that promote gender equality in many SRHR programmes.

09 Apr

Florida’s strict laws make Latin America a potential destination to get an abortion

BarbraInternational, Latest News, United StatesAbortion Ban, Abortion Care, Abortion Rights, Florida, Healthcare, Latin America, legislation, travel

With the Florida Supreme Court upholding the state’s new stricter abortion ban, pregnant women in Florida — especially those in South Florida — may soon head to countries in Latin America, where several countries have legalized the procedure, a reproductive health expert told WLRN on Friday.