USA – 2021 Is on Track to Become the Most Devastating Antiabortion State Legislative Session in Decades

Elizabeth Nash, Guttmacher Institute
Lauren Cross, Guttmacher Institute
First published online: April 30, 2021

Right-wing ideologues are engaging in a shock and awe campaign against abortion rights that is largely getting lost against the background of a broader attack on other basic rights, including a wave of voter suppression laws and attacks on LGBTQ people.

The number of
abortion restrictions—and specifically bans on abortion designed to directly
challenge Roe v. Wade and the U.S. constitutional right to abortion—that have
swiftly been enacted over the past four months is unprecedented. If this trend
continues, 2021 will end up as the most damaging antiabortion state legislative
session in a decade—and perhaps ever.

Continued: https://www.guttmacher.org/article/2021/04/2021-track-become-most-devastating-antiabortion-state-legislative-session-decades

Biden urged to end US aid ‘abortion ban’

More than 140 rights groups call for repeal of 1973 Helms amendment widely misinterpreted as total ban on funding abortion services overseas

Liz Ford
Fri 30 Apr 2021

Joe Biden is being urged to clarify a longstanding US law restricting overseas aid that has been misinterpreted by successive administrations as an outright ban on funding abortion for any reason.

As the US president marked his first 100 days in office on Friday, more than 140 human rights and global health organisations, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International US and the Global Justice Center, signed a letter asking him to confirm that US aid can be used for abortion care in cases of rape, incest and when the woman’s life is in danger.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/apr/30/biden-urged-to-repeal-helms-amendment-allow-us-aid-fund-abortion

‘Pasya’ album destigmatising abortion in the Philippines features BP Valenzuela, members of The Buildings, Flying Ipis and more

NME talks to artists and organisers behind the eclectic compilation, which is out today

By Michael Beltran
30th April 2021

A number of Philippines artists, including BP Valenzuela and Aly Cabral of The Buildings, have joined forces on ‘Pasya’, a compilation advocating the destigmatisation and decriminalisation of abortion in the country.

Digitally released today (April 30), the 12-track album – whose title means ‘choice’ – is also a collaboration between several pro-choice and advocacy groups: It was spearheaded by the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights (WGNRR) and is a collaboration with the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN) and Filipino Freethinkers, with support from Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF) and Abortion Conversation Projects (ACP).

Continued: https://www.nme.com/en_asia/news/music/pasya-album-destigmatising-abortion-in-the-philippines-features-bp-valenzuela-members-of-the-buildings-flying-ipis-and-more-2931054

New Zealand – Health sector not ready to provide best practice abortion care

Media release from the University of Otago
Friday 30 April 2021

Aotearoa achieved a major milestone in sexual and reproductive health and rights with the decriminalisation of abortion, but a University of Otago academic argues abortion care is still not being provided within the full extent of the law.

Emma Macfarlane, a Lecturer in the Department of Women's and Children's Health, believes little has changed in the way abortion services are organised in the year since the Abortion Legislation Act 2020 came in. She also argues we are yet to realise the full extent of abortion care within a decriminalised environment.

Continued: https://www.nzdoctor.co.nz/article/undoctored/health-sector-not-ready-provide-best-practice-abortion-care

30.04.2021

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Abortion Legislation Act (2020)

Emma Macfarlane

funding for abortion providers

training of abortion providers

OBGYNs in Mozambique call to strengthen gender equality and access to safe abortion

FIGO
30 April 2021
Eunice Themba, Project Manager, AMOG

In a year that saw access to reproductive health services diminish due to
COVID-19 and associated restrictions, International Women’s Day 2021 provided a
welcome opportunity to reflect on, learn about and advocate for important
women’s health topics, including access to safe abortion. Unsafe abortion
remains a huge cause of preventable maternal mortality and morbidity.

The World Health Organization estimates that around 13% of maternal deaths are
attributable to unsafe abortion, and that around 3 in every 4 abortions in
Africa and Latin America are unsafe. According to the 2011 Demographic Health
Survey, unsafe abortion was a leading cause of preventable maternal death in
Mozambique, one of ten countries in FIGO’s Advocating Safe Abortion Project. In
order to reverse this dramatic situation that affects girls and women, the new
Penal Code of 2014 was approved (law Nr 35/2014 of December 31st), that was
revised in 2019 (Law Nr 24/2019 of December 24th), which included, in Article
168, the modalities that make abortion non-punishable.

Continued: https://www.figo.org/news/obgyns-mozambique-call-strengthen-gender-equality-and-access-safe-abortion

UK accused of ‘Trump tactics’ after ‘devastating’ £131m cut to family planning aid

Millions of the world’s poorest women and girls will ‘pay the price’ of the UK government reneging on its commitments, say aid workers

Kerry Cullinan
30 April 2021

The UK government has been accused of “using tactics reminiscent of the Trump era” after cutting millions in aid for family planning.

Boris Johnson’s government is set to slash its commitment to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) by 85% – from an expected contribution of £154m to just £23m – in an enormous blow for women and girls in the poorest countries where health services have already been decimated by COVID-19.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/uk-accused-of-trump-tactics-after-devastating-131m-cut-to-family-planning-aid/

Time to stop sacrificing lives of Kenyan women and girls at the altar of religious fundamentalism

April 29, 2021
By Venoranda Kuboka, Josephine Achieng and Maureen Kemunto

We don’t talk about religious fundamentalism enough, especially its negative effects on the rights, health and dignity of women in Kenya.

Religious fundamentalism is one of the most pervasive social maladies in Kenyan today, especially to the lives of women because it has stigmatized, restricted and criminalized access to essential reproductive health services.

Continued: https://citizentv.co.ke/blogs/opinion-time-to-stop-sacrificing-lives-of-kenyan-women-and-girls-at-the-altar-of-religious-fundamentalism-10798167/

N. Ireland – Secretary of State gains power to direct commissioning of abortion services

Published 29 April 2021

Regulations giving the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland powers to direct the commissioning of abortion services have been approved by Westminster.

The Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021 were approved by MPs in a 431-89 vote on Tuesday and agreed by Lords yesterday afternoon.

Continued: https://www.irishlegal.com/article/secretary-of-state-gains-power-to-direct-commissioning-of-abortion-services

29.04.2021

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Abortion (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2021

Amnesty International Northern Ireland

commissioning of abortion services

Grainne Teggart

Viscount Younger of Leckie

‘Fetal heartbeat’ in U.S. abortion laws taps emotion, not science

Julie Carr Smyth and Kimberlee Kruesi, The Associated Press
Published Wednesday, April 28, 2021

NASHVILLE -- Dr. Michael Cackovic has treated his share of pregnant women. So when Republican lawmakers across the U.S. began passing bans on abortion at what they term "the first detectable fetal heartbeat," he was exasperated.

That's because at the point where advanced technology can detect that first flutter, as early as six weeks, the embryo isn't yet a fetus and it doesn't have a heart.

Continued: https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/fetal-heartbeat-in-u-s-abortion-laws-taps-emotion-not-science-1.5405170

Arizona passes sweeping anti-abortion bill banning procedure for genetic issues

Under bill signed by the governor, doctors can in some cases face felony charges for performing the procedure

Associated Press
Wed 28 Apr 2021

Arizona’s governor has signed a sweeping anti-abortion bill that bans the procedure if the woman is seeking it solely because a fetus has a genetic abnormality such as Down’s syndrome.

Doctors who perform an abortion solely because the child has a survivable genetic issue can face felony charges. The proposal also contains a range of other provisions sought by abortion opponents.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/apr/27/arizona-anti-abortion-bill-downs-syndrome