Welcome to International Access to Safe Abortion Week

Source:http://blog.iwhc.org

by Audacia Ray on October 18, 2010 in Intl Access to Safe Abortion Week

Each year, an estimated 20 million unsafe abortions occur worldwide. About 70,000 women, the vast majority of them in developing countries, die from the consequences of these abortions, and untold numbers suffer severe health effects. Even though abortion is legal in almost all countries to save a woman’s life and in three-fifths of countries to protect her physical and mental health, safe abortion services are often not provided by public health systems or are of poor quality.

This week is International Access to Safe Abortion Week here on Akimbo, and we’ll be highlighting work being done to achieve greater access to safe abortion services for women around the world with blog posts, two new resources on safe abortion, and a new video about access to safe abortion in India.

In collaboration with our partners around the world, IWHC seeks to foster a better understanding of women’s experiences of unwanted pregnancy and subsequent abortion, and to dispel myths, stigma, and misinformation. Dictated by women’s realities and supported by the knowledge that restrictive abortion laws only serve to force the procedure underground and into the hands of unqualified practitioners, we seek to expand the availability and quality of safe abortion services as part of comprehensive reproductive health policies and programs around the world.

Here’s what you can look forward to this week:

“Promoting Women’s Access to Safe Abortion: Tools For Advocates,” a brief that includes resources with information, evidence, and ideas for strategic action that can be accessed online. The resource is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
“Abortion with Self-Administered Misoprostol: A Guide for Women,” a brief with information on using misoprostol, co-authored with Gynuity Health Projects. The resource is available in English, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.
A video about the impact of the lack of access to safe abortion in rural India.
Blog posts featuring the work of our partners and colleagues and their work to secure the access to safe abortion for all women who choose it.

I hope you’ll join us, and spread the word about these resources.