2020

SAIGE Technical Guidance Paper: Young Women and Abortion

Categories:

There are some 3.9 million girls aged 15 to 19 years who undergo unsafe abortions every year. Young women face unique vulnerabilities when accessing healthcare and safe abortion services even in contexts where abortion is legal because of their age and gender. The obstacles that many young women face in obtaining safe and legal abortions include restrictive laws that criminalise abortion, lack of providers willing to perform abortions, substandard conditions in healthcare facilities, fear of stigmatisation for terminating pregnancy, and individual beliefs on abortion. In countries where abortion services are legal and available, besides those previously mentioned, there is also a lack of awareness of the legal status of abortion and bias in providing services mainly within the framework of marriage.

Young women across the world face discrimination and barriers to access based on their race, caste, class, gender, age, marital status, and region. Young women are not a monolith, they face unique vulnerabilities that are based on their identities and location. An intersectional approach posits the need to analyse and understand the multiple oppressions that are faced by young women.

Vietnam

  • Centre for Creative Initiatives in Health and Population (CCIHP)

Indonesia

  • Aliansi Satu Visi (ASV);
  • CEDAW Working Group;
  • Hollaback! Jakarta;
  • Institut Kapal Perempuan;
  • Kalyanamitra;
  • Komnas Perempuan;
  • Remaja Independen Papua/Independent Youth
    Forum Papua (FRIP/IYFP);
  • Perkumpulan Keluarga Berencana Indonesia (PKBI);
  • Perkumpulan Lintas Feminis Jakarta;
  • Perkumpulan Pamflet Generasi;
  • RUTGERS Indonesia;
  • Sanggar SWARA;
  • Women on Web;
  • Yayasan Kesehatan Perempuan (YKP); 
  • YIFOS Indonesia

Maldives

  • Hope for Women
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)
SAIGE Technical Guidance Paper: Young Women and Abortion

There are some 3.9 million girls aged 15 to 19 years who undergo unsafe abortions every year. Young women face unique vulnerabilities when accessing healthcare and safe abortion services even in contexts where abortion is legal because of their age and gender. The obstacles that many young women face in obtaining safe and legal abortions include restrictive laws that criminalise abortion, lack of providers willing to perform abortions, substandard conditions in healthcare facilities, fear of stigmatisation for terminating pregnancy, and individual beliefs on abortion. In countries where abortion services are legal and available, besides those previously mentioned, there is also a lack of awareness of the legal status of abortion and bias in providing services mainly within the framework of marriage.

Young women across the world face discrimination and barriers to access based on their race, caste, class, gender, age, marital status, and region. Young women are not a monolith, they face unique vulnerabilities that are based on their identities and location. An intersectional approach posits the need to analyse and understand the multiple oppressions that are faced by young women.

Morocco

  • Association Marocaine de Planification Familiale (AMPF),
  • Morocco Family Planning Association

India

  • CommonHealth;
  • Love Matters India;
  • Pravah;
  • Rural Women’s Social Education Centre (RUWSEC);
  • SAHAYOG;
  • Sahaj;
  • Sahiyo;
  • SAMA – Resource Group for Women and Health;
  • WeSpeakOut;
  • The YP Foundation (TYPF)

Lao PDR

  • Lao Women’s Union;
  • The Faculty of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Health
    Sciences (UHS)

Sri Lanka

  • Bakamoono;
  • Women and Media Collective (WMC),
  • Youth Advocacy Network – Sri Lanka (YANSL)

Malaysia

  • Federation of Reproductive Health Associations of Malaysia (FRHAM);
  • Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG);
  • Justice for Sisters (JFS);
  • Reproductive Health Association of
    Kelantan (ReHAK);
  • Reproductive Rights Advocacy Alliance Malaysia (RRAAM);
  • Sisters in Islam (SIS)

Maldives

  • Hope for Women;
  • Society for Health Education (SHE)

Myanmar

  • Colourful Girls Organization;
  • Green Lotus Myanmar

Nepal

  • Beyond Beijing Committee (BBC);
  • Blind Youth Association of Nepal;
  • Blue Diamond Society (BDS);
  • Nepalese Youth for Climate Action (NYCA);
  • Visible Impact;
  • Women’s Rehabilitation Centre (WOREC);
  • YPEER Nepal;
  • YUWA

Pakistan

  • Aahung, Centre for Social Policy Development (CSPD);
  • Forum for Dignity Initiative (FDI);
  • Gravity Development Organization; Green Circle Organization;
  • Indus Resources Center (IRC);
  • Idara-e-Taleem-O-Aaghai (ITA);
  • Rehnuma – Family Planning Association Pakistan;
  • Shelter
    Participatory Organisation;
  • Shirkat Gah;
  • The Enlight Lab

Philippines

  • Democratic Socalist Women of the Philippines (DSWP);
  • Galang;
  • Healthcare Without Harm;
  • Institute for Climate and Sustainable Cities;
  • Likhaan Centre for Women’s Health;
  • Nisa UI Haqq Fi Bangsamoro;
  • PATH Foundation Inc. (PFPI);
  • Women’s Global Network for
    Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Singapore

  • End Female Genital Cutting Singapore
  • Reproductive Rights (WGNRR)

Mongolia

  • MONFEMNET National Network