Court Overturns Conviction, Affirms Reproductive Justice and Access to Abortion in Zambia

Center for Reproductive Rights
January 16, 2026

Today, the High Court of Zambia overturned the conviction of Violet Zulu and set her free from a 7-year prison sentence. Violet, a young single mother of two, was sentenced to seven years in prison for procuring her own abortion. This landmark decision corrects a grave miscarriage of justice and marks a significant step forward in the fight for women’s and girls’ rights to access reproductive health services in Zambia.

The Center for Reproductive Rights, together with Women and Law in Southern Africa (WLSA) Zambia, and the law firm of Musa Dudhia and Company Advocates (ALN Zambia), remained relentless in fighting for Violet’s release. In its judgment, the Court found that the decision of the lower court was unlawful and unjust, and that Violet’s rights were violated. The Court accordingly ordered her immediate release.

Continued: https://reproductiverights.org/news/court-overturns-conviction-affirms-reproductive-justice-access-abortion-zambia/

16.01.2026

News

Center for Reproductive Rights

High Court of Zambia

Rosemary Kirui

Sharon Williams

Termination of Pregnancy Act

Violet in Zambia

Women and Law in Southern Africa

Abortions at record high in England and Wales ‘driven by cost of living’

Providers and doctors say lack of access to contraception another reason for the 11% rise in procedures in 2023

Hannah Al-Othman
Thu 15 Jan 2026

The rising cost of living and a lack of access to contraception have driven another rise in abortion rates in England and Wales, providers and doctors said.

Government statistics released on Thursday showed that abortions increased by 11% in 2023 compared with the previous year.

The age-standardised abortion rate for women was 23.0 abortions per 1,000 residents, the highest rate since the Abortion Act was introduced in 1967.

Continued; https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jan/15/abortions-record-high-england-wales-cost-of-living-contraception

15.01.2026

News

1967 Abortion Act

abortion rates in England

Dr Alison Wright

Katie Saxon

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists

EUROPE -MEP Liese pushes male contraception as abortion prevention

This line of argument could resonate with other conservative groups in the European Parliament opposed to abortion

Thomas Mangin, Euractiv
Jan 12, 2026

German MEP Peter Liese is intensifying his push for male contraception, framing it as a contribution to reducing abortions. The member of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) plans to maintain pressure on the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and is considering ways to integrate this issue into the Biotech Act, a recent European Commission proposal.

“I’m a Catholic myself, and I think also the Catholic Church should be very happy if we have male contraception available because it avoids unwanted pregnancies and unwanted pregnancies lead to abortion,” said the German MEP…

Continued: https://www.euractiv.com/news/mep-liese-pushes-male-contraception-as-abortion-prevention/

12.01.2026

News

Biotech Act

European Medicines Agency

European People’s Party

Wales – Two women make the toughest choice imaginable. What happens next depends on where they live

There is a stark contrast in how women needing one key treatment are dealt with depending solely on whether they live in England or Wales

by Laura Butler
11 Jan 2026

Two women in Cardiff want abortions. One has a GP in England while the other’s is in Wales – and this difference determines whether they wait one day or three weeks.

Beda (not her real name), a 26-year-old Cardiff woman, got unexpectedly pregnant in January 2024. With her GP in the Welsh capital she went through Cardiff and Vale University health board. Four weeks later she had her abortion.

Continued: https://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/two-women-make-toughest-choice-33208096.amp

11.01.2026

India – Forcing woman to continue with pregnancy violates her autonomy: Delhi HC quashes case against woman for lawful abortion

Here is the decision itself.
Decisions about pregnancy and the control over their body, fertility and motherhood choices should be left to the woman alone.

Prashant Jha
09 Jan 2026

The Delhi High Court recently observed that forcing a woman to continue with the pregnancy violates her bodily autonomy and integrity [Sanya Bhasin v The State & Anr].

Justice Neena Bansal Krishna said that the decisions about pregnancy and the control over their body, fertility and motherhood choices should be left to the woman alone.

Continued: https://www.barandbench.com/news/forcing-woman-to-continue-with-pregnancy-violates-her-autonomy-delhi-hc-quashes-case-against-woman-for-lawful-abortion

09.01.2026

Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act

MTP Act

Neena Bansal Krishna

Sanya Bhasin v The State & Anr

Bristol abortion clinic praised for outstanding service

Staff there are caring, safe and empathetic, a new report says
Angus McIntyre

08 Jan 2026

An abortion clinic in Bristol has been rated 'outstanding' by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the highest rating available.

The CQC ranked the MSI Reproductive Services Treatment Centre in Stoke Gifford outstanding overall and in three of five individually-assessed fields: safety, effectiveness and care. The clinic, which services patients across the South West, was rated 'good' in the responsiveness and leadership categories.

Continued; https://www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/bristol-abortion-clinic-praised-outstanding-10741707

08.01.2026

News

British Pregnancy Advisory Service

Care Quality Commission

Debi Hammond

Emma May

MSI Reproductive Choices

Ghana – Sexual reproductive health rights project impacts 200,000 people in two regions

7 January 2026

Over 200,000 people, including young people under 20 years from 11 districts in the Northern and Upper East Regions, have been impacted by a project that seeks to empower adolescents and young people to access accurate information on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Implemented by MSI Reproductive Choices Ghana (MSIG) and Youth Advocates Ghana (YAG) with funding from the European Union and support from the Ghana Health Service (GES) and the Ghana Education Service, the three-year project dubbed, Youth For Health, revamped and equipped 26 adolescent corners in the implementing districts.

Continued: https://www.myjoyonline.com/sexual-reproductive-health-rights-project-impacts-200000-people-in-two-regions/

07.01.2026

Ghana Education Service

Ghana Health Service

MSI Reproductive Choices Ghana

Theresa Oppong Mensah

Youth Advocates Ghana

Wyoming Supreme Court protects abortion access

Wyoming Public Radio | By Hanna Merzbach
January 6, 2026

Abortions will remain legal in Wyoming.

The state’s supreme court ruled Jan. 6 that two near-total abortion bans are unconstitutional.

“A woman has a fundamental right to make her own health care decisions, including the decision to have an abortion. The State did not meet its burden of demonstrating the Abortion Laws further the compelling interest of protecting unborn life without unduly infringing upon the woman’s fundamental right to make her own health care decisions,” the court concluded in a 4-1 split order.

Continued: https://www.wyomingpublicmedia.org/politics-government/2026-01-06/wyoming-supreme-court-protects-abortion-access

06.01.2026

News

abortion is healthcare

Chelsea’s Fund

Giovannina Anthony

Life is a Human Right Act

Lynne Boomgaarden

Mike Yin

Wyoming Supreme Court

N. Ireland – Mother of four Claire Brennan to appear in court charged with breaching hospital’s abortion ‘safe access zone’

By The Newsroom
4th Jan 2026

A woman currently appealing a conviction for conducting an illegal protest inside a hospital’s ‘safe access zone’ is due to appear in court on fresh charges.

Claire Brennan is due to appear in Coleraine Magistrates’ Court on Monday to be charged with three offences of “doing an act inside a safe access zone” on three specific dates in September, October and November last year.

Continued: https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/mother-of-four-claire-brennan-to-appear-in-court-charged-with-breaching-hospitals-abortion-safe-access-zone-5462024

04.01.2026

News

Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Act (Northern Ireland) 2023

anti-choice protesters

New Zealand – Abortion numbers rise since decriminalisation and launch of telehealth services

3 January 2026
Pretoria Gordon

A sexual and reproductive health specialist says a recent rise in abortion numbers reflects improved access to care rather than an increase in demand.

There has been a 37 percent increase since abortion was decriminalised in New Zealand - from 12,948 in 2019 to 17,785 in 2024.

The Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 and the Crimes Act 1961 were amended in March 2020.

Continued: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/583115/abortion-numbers-rise-since-decriminalisation-and-launch-of-telehealth-services

03.01.2026