‘Reclaiming our bodies,’ a revolution towards sexual reproductive justice for Women in Africa

Some Women make decisions with fear while others live with stigma because the laws have stippled them their sexual reproductive health rights.

By ROSEMARY ONCHARI
April 22, 2025

KISII, Kenya – For decades ,Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) narratives of African women are narrowly told in a dehumanizing lens, reducing them into numbers and problems which can be solved without giving these women a right over their bodies ,choices and their future.

In the 21st century, women in Africa have no freedom as many access health care with shame, some make decisions with fear while others live with stigma because the laws have stippled them their sexual reproductive health rights.

Continued: https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2025/04/reclaiming-our-bodies-a-revolution-towards-sexual-reproductive-justice-for-women-in-africa/

22.04.2025

sexual and reproductive health and rights

USA – Abortion Saved Her. Now It Could Cost Her Freedom.

As the Trump administration cuts funding for Planned Parenthood, one court offers Black Women in the South a legal lifeline.

by Angela Dennis
April 21, 2025

Kneeling on the cold bathroom floor of her apartment, Kisha clutched the pregnancy test she had just picked up from the Walgreens down the street. She waited for a single blue line to appear. Instead, there were two.

“When I looked down at that test, I didn’t believe it,” she said. “I told myself there was just no way. This can’t be happening to me.”

She was pregnant at 41 years old.

Continued: https://capitalbnews.org/planned-parenthood-cuts-trump-black-women-abortion-bans/

Georgia – Déa Kulumbegashvili on abortion drama April

Georgian filmmaker Déa Kulumbegashvili talks to us about the making of her abortion drama April and the role of cinema in the face of repressive systems

Feature by Stefania Sarrubba
21 Apr 2025

Like the home abortions carried out by its protagonist Nina, the making of April was shrouded in secrecy for writer-director Déa Kulumbegashvili. Flying under the radar isn’t easy when you’re “constantly followed by police”, she tells us ahead of her film’s UK release.

After her debut Beginning made waves during the pandemic, the Georgian filmmaker returned to her hometown, Lagodekhi, for her sophomore feature, which follows an obstetrician-gynecologist moonlighting as an abortionist. Terminating an unplanned pregnancy is legal in Georgia, but restrictions and stigma, particularly in more rural areas like Lagodekhi, hinder safe access to the procedure – hence the need for Kulumbegashvili's secrecy. “They knew I was making a film about a female doctor. But we could not say what it was really about,” she explains.

Continued: https://www.theskinny.co.uk/film/interviews/dea-kulumbegashvili-on-abortion-drama-april

21.04.2025

Scottish ministers accused of failing women who cannot get later abortions

Campaigners say ‘extremely vulnerable women’ are having to travel hundreds of miles to visit English clinics

Libby Brooks, Scotland correspondent
Mon 21 Apr 2025

Campaigners have warned Scottish ministers that they are failing in their legal and moral duties as growing numbers of “extremely vulnerable women” have to travel hundreds of miles south because they cannot access later-term abortions in Scotland.

Not one of Scotland’s 14 regional health boards provide abortion care after 20 weeks except in the specific cases of foetal abnormality or threat to a woman’s life. This is despite the Scottish government promising to rectify this “explicit inequality” three years ago, and abortion being legal on broad grounds until 24 weeks across the UK.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/scottish-government-failing-women-who-cant-access-later-term-abortions-campaigners-say

Resist and Persist: How Ipas will meet the changing global health landscape

April 2025

For 52 years, Ipas has supported communities around the world to ensure access to abortion and contraception for all. We have a deep history and experience working on abortion in places in the world with very restrictive laws, and with health systems that face critical challenges. Ipas has survived extraordinary challenges in the past, and our mission, persistence, and expertise are more critical than ever in the current moment.

The United States’ drastic dismantling of its $79.5 billion foreign aid program has significantly impacted development and humanitarian sectors and created chaos around the globe. Health systems have been crippled, and countless lives and livelihoods have been disrupted. This is a moment of inflection in the global health and development community.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/our-work/resist-and-persist-how-ipas-will-meet-the-changing-global-health-landscape/

Here’s what the late Pope Francis said about LGBTQ+ people, abortion and other key issues

The pontiff, who died Monday at 88, was beloved by many progressive Catholics.

April 21, 2025
The 19^th

Pope Francis, who as head of the Roman Catholic Church advocated for a greater acceptance of LGBTQ+ people and protection for migrants, died on Monday after a series of respiratory infections, which were particularly dangerous as he was already missing part of one lung due to a serious bout of pneumonia he experienced as a young man. He was 88.

The Vatican announced his death in a brief statement on the social media platform X.

Continued: https://19thnews.org/2025/04/pope-francis-dead/

21.04.2025

Commentary

Catholic Church

Jorge Mario Bergoglio

Pope Benedict

Pope Francis

sexual abuse crisis

the Pope and abortion

‘A Love Letter To Malta’: Women Behind Abortion Play Open Up About Telling The Country What It Doesn’t Want To Hear

by Ana Tortell
April 20, 2025

Two Maltese women took to the stage to tell the untold stories of those living under one of the world’s harshest abortion bans.

Receiving rave reviews and international acclaim, Blanket Ban had two runs in the UK before creators and performers Marta Vella and Davinia Hamilton decided it was time to bring it to Malta.

Just after the show wrapped its local run, Lovin Malta sat down with the pair to learn more about the process and thought behind the powerful two-person play.

Continued: https://lovinmalta.com/theatre/a-love-letter-to-malta-women-behind-abortion-play-open-up-about-telling-the-country-what-it-doesnt-want-to-hear/

20.04.2025

Film, Art, Books

A love letter to Malta

‘Ground situation unchanged’: Delhi HC flags ordeal of survivors seeking abortion

18 Apr 2025

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court was recently displeased with its directions not being complied with by the doctors in the national capital for constituting a panel to determine the cases of sexual assault survivors seeking abortion without any delay.

Justice Swarana Kanta Sharma’s verdict on April 17 outlined the “unfortunate” state of affairs over the compliance of its directions passed on January 25, 2023 and November 3, 2023 through which hospitals were ordered to constitute medical boards to examine sexual assault survivors seeking medical termination of their pregnancy.

Continued: https://www.millenniumpost.in/delhi/ground-situation-unchanged-delhi-hc-flags-ordeal-of-survivors-seeking-abortion-607227

19.04.2025

News

Delhi High Court

sexual assault survivors and abortion

Illegal female infanticide on rise in Kalikot

Determination of the sex of a fetus and abortion based on the results are illegal in Nepal. Both the person conducting the test and the one requesting it can face legal action.

By Lalit Bista
April 19, 2025

KALIKOT: Determination of the sex of a fetus and abortion based on the results are illegal in Nepal. Both the person conducting the test and the one requesting it can face legal action.

However, a 28-year-old woman from Khadachakra Municipality in Kalikot recently underwent an abortion for the second time, just a week ago. She chose to terminate the pregnancy after discovering she was carrying a daughter again.

Continued: https://myrepublica.nagariknetwork.com/news/illegal-female-infanticide-on-rise-in-kalikot-41-19.html

19.04.2025

News

Dr. Subhanarayan Thakur

female infanticide

sex selection abortion

European Citizens’ Initiative on abortion rights hits 1.2 million signatures

Saturday 19 April 2025
Brussels Times

The pro-choice movement for safe and accessible abortion in the EU reached about 1.2 million verified signatures last week surpassing the threshold required for European Citizens’ Initiatives to induce the European Commission to consider new legislative proposals.

To be successful, a European citizens' initiative (ECI), EU’s main instrument for participative democracy, has to reach one million statements of support as well as minimum thresholds in at least seven countries. The initiative My Voice My Choice exceeded the threshold less than a year after the collection of signatures started. The collection period ends on 24 April.

Continued: https://www.brusselstimes.com/eu-affairs/1542870/european-citizens-initiative-on-abortion-rights-hits-1-2-million-signatures

19.04.2025