Coverage by the Press and Media
by Patricia Nilsson
press@safeabortionwomensright.org
This year’s International Safe Abortion Day was bigger than ever. The turnout of groups that took action, created and shared a huge range of information and resources, and organised events to mark the day was incredible – and attention and interest from journalists and media organisations was also unprecedented.
We have been sent and gathered media reports covering the day in Spanish, French and English, which are listed below. But we will have missed a lot of press/media reports in many languages from around the world. Have you read or written an article that is not in the list ? Please send it to me atpress@safeabortionwomensright.org !
Overall, the coverage we found was focused on the Open Letter asking the UN to make International Safe Abortion Day an official UN day and also on the joint statement by four UN human rights experts – Alda Facio, Dainius Pūras, Juan E Méndez and Dubravka Šimonović – calling on States across the world "to repeal restrictive abortion laws and policies, and all punitive measures and discriminatory barriers to access safe reproductive health services", and the statement by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa, Justice Lucy Asuagbor as well.
These statements, recognising the importance of the work being done by all of us to decriminalise abortion, free women and providers from prison, and calling for universal access to safe abortion, seems to have played an important role in motivating mainstream media outlets to write about our campaigns. In addition, many advocates and activist groups published blogs and articles about the significance of the day and for their work, and many others shared personal stories about abortion through videos and on the web as part of #StepIntoOurShoes.
The media and the world are noticing our hard work – let’s keep going!
Here is the list of publications we've got so far:
*International*
UN News Centre – Repealing anti-abortion laws would save the lives of nearly 50,000 women a year – UN Experts
International Business Times – Nearly 50,000 women die each year as a result from an unsafe abortion
Rewire – Abortion in developing regions: what progress since 1990?
Pathfinder International – Changing the conversation around abortion
*Africa*
African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights - Statement by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa […]
Jeune Afrique – Le droit à l’avortement reste un enjeu majeur de santé en Afrique
Burundi
Iwacu English News – Backstreet abortion, a reality in Burundi
Egypt
Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights – Make Global Day of Action for Access to Safe Abortion, September 28, an international UN day - Egyptian law must be amended to guarantee women’s right to access safe abortion […]
Ghana
Business Ghana – Make safe abortion services available in public health facilities
News Ghana – International safe abortion day scheduled for September 28
Ghana News Agency – Make safe abortion services available in public health facilities, government urged
Ghana Web - Don't stigmatise women who opt for safe abortion NGO
Ghana Web - Make safe abortion accessible - CEO of Global Media Foundation
South Africa
Cape Times – 22 million unsafe abortions worldwide
Daily Maverick – South Africa and women’s healthcare rights: one step forward, two steps back?
*Asia*
Nepal
Kathmandu Post – ‘Legalisation is not enough to make abortion safe’
India
Feminism in India - Artwork: Erasure And Silencing In The Abortion Rights Discourse
New Kerala – Repealing anti-abortion laws would save the lives of nearly 50,000 women a year – UN experts
Youth Ki Awaaz – Can you put yourself in the shoes of someone who has had an abortion?
Thailand
Bangkok Post – Hypocrisy holds back us of abortion pills
*Europe*
EurActiv – Women must have jurisdiction over their own bodies
France
L’Obs - En RDC, les filles avortent toutes seules. Médecin, je veux faire changer les mentalités
Pourquoi Docteurs - IVG : le combat de Médecins du Monde dans les pays prohibitifs
RFI -Les femmes haïtiennes: le droit à la santé
RFI - Journée mondiale de l'avortement
Ireland
Newstalk - Thousands expected for March for Choice in Dublin city centre
Irish Central – Over 20,000 march in Dublin in mass pro-choice rally
Norway
Government.no – International day for safe abortions
Poland
Nowicka-Wanda blog – ONZ wzywa do liberalizacji aborcji
Sweden
Aftonbladet – Rätten till abort måste försvaras
*North America*
Canada
Metro Views – It’s time to get behind International Safe Abortion Day
USA
News Deeply – The U.N.’s working group on discrimination against women, explained
Bustle – On International Safe Abortion Day, criminalisation of the medical procedure remains a reality – even in America
The Huffington Post – Today marks the 16th anniversary of the abortion pill and International Safe Abortion Day
The Frisky - The UN reveals a shocking new statistic about abortion around the world
Women’s Health Policy Report - Op-ed commemorates International Safe Abortion Day by spotlighting study showing disparities in abortion rates
*Latin America*
Rfi - El aborto inseguro sigue matando en América Latina y el Caribe
Telesur - Women Demand Safe Access to Abortions Around the Globe
Argentina
Consejo Trabajo Social - 28 de Septiembre: día de lucha por la despenalización y legalización del derecho al aborto
Imnequen - Así quedó la Catedral tras la marcha a favor de la despenalización del aborto
Bolivia
La Razon - Derecho a decidir
Colombia
Correo del Orinoco - En Colombia “se debe despenalizar por completo el aborto porque es un servicio de salud”
Costa Rica
Voces Nuestras - Día por la Despenalización del aborto en América Latina y el Caribe
Mexico
El Manana De Valles – Exigen despenalizar el aborto en Mexico: Manifestacion
La Jornada – Feministas piden a autoridades respetar el derecho al aborto
Peru
Flora Tristan - Campaña 28 de Septiembre, Día por la despenalización del aborto en América Latina y El Caribe
Venezuela
MinMujer - 28 de septiembre Día por la despenalización del aborto en América Latina y el Caribe
Aporrea - Mueren cada año 47 mil mujeres por abortos inseguros
Ultimas Noticias - Cientos de feministas demandan despenalizar aborto en El Salvador
Uruguay
LaRed21 - Día Internacional de Lucha por la Despenalización del Aborto en América Latina y el Caribe
VISUAL