The most comprehensive compilation of information on the status of
women in the world.

Latest items for ABO-PRACTICE-1

March 4, 2023, 8:13 a.m.
Countries: Canada
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"The right to choose whether or not to carry a pregnancy to term still exists in Quebec and Canada. But the spectre of Roe v. Wade, the 50-year-old decision legalizing abortion, being imminently overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court weighs heavily" (Para. 11).
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:52 a.m.
Countries: Poland
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Poland — It was shortly before 11 p.m. when Izabela Sajbor realized the doctors were prepared to let her die.Her doctor had already told her that her fetus had severe abnormalities and would almost certainly die in the womb. If it made it to term, life expectancy was a year, at most. At 22 weeks pregnant, Ms. Sajbor had been admitted to a hospital after her water broke prematurely. She knew that there was a short window to induce birth or surgically remove the fetus to avert infection and potentially fatal sepsis. But even as she developed a fever, vomited and convulsed on the floor, it seemed to be the...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 10:31 a.m.
Countries: Philippines
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Shortly before a courier arrived, Anna*, a scared, pregnant young woman from the Philippines, had received instructions on Facebook from the seller about how to proceed when she received her packet of medication containing cytotec, cortal and tablets to prevent bleeding.She should fast for the day. She must not eat rice but just snack on crackers and drink cola. Anna paid 1,000 pesos (£15) upfront, with a second 1,000 peso due if the abortion was successful." (Para.1-2). CC-LA(due to strict abortion laws women are not able to receive proper health care if they decide to have an abortion hence resorting to unsafe methods of accessing abortion pills such as internet-Facebook)...more
Feb. 18, 2023, 9:55 a.m.
Countries: Japan
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"With the U.S. Supreme Court poised to overturn a 1973 ruling that legalized abortion nationwide, there is a global spotlight on reproductive care — including in Japan, which has some of the tightest restrictions on abortion among wealthy nations" (Para.4). "Japan is one of 11 countries — and the only one of the Group of Seven largest economies — that mandate women to get their spouse’s consent to obtain an abortion, with very few exceptions, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, an international organization. In practice, advocates say, the requirement often applies to unmarried women, too, and has led to rare and tragic instances of women leaving their babies...more
Feb. 5, 2023, 9:19 p.m.
Countries: Turkey
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Several women told me about their abortion experiences in Turkey’s health care system. (I’ve changed their names to protect their identities.) Elif, a school therapist, discovered her pregnancy in 2015 when the embryo was 4 weeks old. She phoned 10 clinics, and three said they performed abortions. She told only a few friends about the procedure: 'It would be like drinking alcohol or committing adultery for a woman with a headscarf to have an abortion,' she recalled thinking. When she went to the clinic with her husband, 'they looked at us weirdly and copied our identity cards and wedding certificate, which was demeaning.' She had to act quickly; even if...more
Feb. 4, 2023, 6:14 p.m.
Countries: Namibia
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Similarly, the Junior Secondary Curriculum (Grades 8 & 9) has been revised for implementation in 2017 and 2018. This syllabus looks at cross curricular issues like Gangs; Criminal behaviour; Defamation of character; GBV; Freedom of speech; Sexual harassment; Sexual abuse; Baby dumping, and Intergenerational sex. The Senior Secondary Syllabus (Grades 10 & 11) has been reviewed and is implemented this year and 2020. Cross-curricular issues dealt with in here are pornography; abortion; responsible parenthood; marriage and sexual reproductive health". (16) (NF - CODER COMMENT - The topic of abortion is schools shows that the government does acknolwedge abortion, however, since it is illegal and has very narrow circumstances, it can...more
Feb. 2, 2023, 1:11 p.m.
Countries: Austria
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee remains concerned about the following:...(b) The fact that abortion services and contraceptives are not paid for by health insurance; (c) The use of conscientious objection among medical practitioners, thereby limiting access to safe abortion services, which are guaranteed by law...In line with its general recommendation No. 24 (1999) on women and health, the Committee recommends that the State party: (b) Ensure access to safe abortion services, mainly by allowing doctors working outside of hospitals to provide abortifacients and ensure that such procedures are reimbursed by health insurance programmes; (c) Ensure that the exercise of conscientious objection by health-care personnel does not pose an obstacle for women who wish...more
Jan. 19, 2023, midnight
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Women in England and Wales will have permanent access to early medical abortions...The move will allow thousands of women to end their pregnancy from the privacy of their own home rather than travel to a clinic or hospital. Women will always be able to secure early medical abortion pills via a phone call or online consultation with a doctor at home" (para 1-4). "Minister for Public Health Maggie Throup said: 'The wellbeing and safety of women requiring access to abortion services is paramount'." (para 10). "[M]inisters changed the rules to allowing both pills to be taken at home,following a teleconsultation, to ensure women could still access early abortions" (para 21).more
Jan. 16, 2023, 10:16 a.m.
Countries: Romania
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Dr. Elisabetta Canitano, a gynecologist and president of the feminist group Vita di Donna, says migrant and trafficked women are disproportionately affected by this rhetoric. She cited a recent case where a Romanian woman living in the northern Lombardy region was charged a 1,000 euro fee ($1,130) for seeking an abortion – which would normally be free – without a medical card" (para 47-48).
Jan. 16, 2023, 10:16 a.m.
Countries: Somalia
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"In another case, Canitano says a Somali woman fell ill after taking what she thought was an abortion pill. When she eventually ended up at hospital, Canitano says the woman was charged with carrying out an illegal abortion and fined 3,000 euros ($3,371) – the charge is punishable by fines of up to 10,000 euro ($11,237)" (para 50).
Jan. 16, 2023, 10:15 a.m.
Countries: Italy
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"During her first three doctor’s visits at seven, 12 and 15 weeks, Emma – whose name has been changed to protect her identity due to societal stigma around abortion – says she was told everything was going well" (para 4). "In the European Union, 22 out of 28 member states, including Italy, currently provide the right to conscientious objection over abortion, according to the WHO’s 2018 Global Abortion Policies Database. Across Italy, 68.4% of gynecologists identify as 'conscientious objectors,' according to 2017 Italian Ministry of Health data. In some parts of the country, accessing an abortion can be nearly impossible, with gynecologists in the southern regions of Molise and Basilicata...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 10:04 p.m.
Countries: Malta
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"'The choice isn't whether the mother or the baby survive. The choice here is whether the mother and baby both dies, or whether the mother's life is saved,' Fearne told reporters, according to Reuters. 'We don't believe that after going through this ordeal the woman should face the possibility of imprisonment,' Fearne said." (para 7-8). "The change was spurred after an American pregnant woman nearly died in the country because doctors refused to perform an abortion. Andrea Prudente was 16 weeks pregnant when she and her partner Jay Weeldreyer decided to go on a two-week 'babymoon' to Malta. One week into the trip, Prudente was rushed to the hospital after...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 8:01 p.m.
Countries: Nicaragua
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Popular Sandinista newspaper Barricada ran dozens of articles on the matter, as well as on questions of reproductive rights and sexual liberation." (para 14) (NF - CODER COMMENT - The question of reproductive rights can include abortion and the stance that there is are questions on these rights provides insight into the overall attitude of abortion which one can argue is not that high). "Internationally, there is much attention around the case of abortion in Nicaragua. In order to understand why abortion has not been nationally legalized, it is important to understand some cultural components of Nicaragua. The large majority of Nicaraguans are Catholics or Protestants, which combined with traditional...more
Jan. 12, 2023, 7:19 p.m.
Countries: Australia
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Women's Interests Minister Simone McGurk said the changes would be another important step in improving access to abortion care. 'Abortion is a fundamental part of women's healthcare - it's a right that should be fiercely protected,' she said. 'Safety, privacy and dignity when accessing abortion are vital. 'I urge women to have their say to ensure the legislation remains fit for purpose.' The legislation is expected to be introduced to parliament in 2023." (para 8-12).
Dec. 28, 2022, 11:42 a.m.
Countries: United States
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Kristina Cruickshank of Rosenberg, Texas, thought her life was in jeopardy after a diagnosis of a nonviable 'partial molar pregnancy,' in which the fetus has too many chromosomes and develops incompletely. Cruickshank, 35, had thyroid problems and massive cysts around both ovaries. She was vomiting, bleeding and in pain. It was early June, shortly before Roe fell, when Texas banned nearly all abortions after roughly six weeks of pregnancy. She endured three days of agony in one hospital before her doctor could find another that agreed to the termination procedure. She thought: 'What am I supposed to do, just lay here and die?’ (para 27-28). "Mylissa Farmer of Joplin, Missouri,...more
Dec. 28, 2022, 11:35 a.m.
Countries: United States
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Dr. Cara Heuser, a maternal-fetal specialist in Utah, recalled one patient denied an abortion in Idaho despite developing a serious heart condition midway through pregnancy. The woman had to be transported to Utah for the procedure" (para 13). "The stories are similar when pregnancy is complicated by cancer - diagnosed in about 1 in 1,000 pregnancies each year. Dr. Karen Knudsen, CEO of the American Cancer Society, said some oncologists are confused about treating pregnant cancer patients, particularly when therapies may induce miscarriage. Dr. Kristina Tocce, medical director for Planned Parenthood of the Rocky Mountains, said she's seen patients with life-threatening diagnoses forced to drive 10 hours or more, or...more
Dec. 28, 2022, 11:34 a.m.
Countries: United States
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Pregnant women with dangerous medical conditions are showing up in hospitals and doctors’ offices only to be denied the abortions that could help treat them. Some doctors in states with restrictive abortion laws say they’ve referred or suggested more patients go elsewhere than ever. Some women are facing harmful, potentially deadly delays" (para 5). "Doctors say they’re forced to balance medical judgment with potential punishments, including prison time" (para 6). "Experts say it’s hard to pinpoint data on abortion denials when serious complications arise. Employers often discourage health care workers from speaking about them, though The Associated Press reached more than a dozen doctors and patients who shared stories of...more
Dec. 28, 2022, 11:32 a.m.
Countries: United States
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Weeks after Roe v. Wade was overturned, Dr. Grace Ferguson treated a woman whose water had broken halfway through pregnancy. The baby would never survive, and the patient’s chance of developing a potentially life-threatening infection grew with every hour. By the time she made it to Pittsburgh to see Ferguson, the woman had spent two days in a West Virginia hospital, unable to have an abortion because of a state ban. The law makes an exception for medical emergencies, but the patient’s life wasn’t in danger at that moment. 'She was just kind of standing on the edge of the cliff,' Ferguson said, 'waiting for an emergency to happen or...more
Dec. 9, 2022, 2:29 p.m.
Countries: China
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"China continues to grapple with a demographic downturn — a hangover, in part, from the country’s 'one-child policy,' which from 1979 to 2015 was used to slash birthrates while the country was experiencing a population boom. Abortion, which is legal in China, played a role in adherence to the policy. According to the Guttmacher Institute, China has among the highest rates of abortion globally" (para 4-5).
Oct. 7, 2022, 12:13 a.m.
Countries: Italy
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Abortion was legalised in Italy in 1978 under legislation called Law 194. However, women struggle to access safe abortions due to the high number of gynaecologists who refuse to terminate pregnancies for moral reasons. Seven out of 10 gynaecologists in Italy are “moral objectors”. In addition, anti-abortion activists infiltrate hospitals to try to prevent abortions from taking place. Marrone, who said he would have liked to set aside more money for the scheme, last year allowed anti-abortion groups to set up counters in clinics by the local health authority, Asl, and hospitals in Piedmont." (7)
Sept. 3, 2022, 7:50 p.m.
Countries: France
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"They did so even though abortion no longer faces any significant political opposition in France. A left-wing coalition quickly proposed a similar constitutional change. On the center right, a party seen as representing traditionalist Catholics, Les Républicains, has shriveled in political significance. Even Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far-right National Rally party, who made some noises against abortion in the past, now sees no advantage in doing so. When asked if she herself would support a constitutional amendment on abortion, Le Pen groused about how France isn’t the U.S. and no party envisions changing the abortion law, but conceded, 'Pourquoi pas?' Why not?" (4) "But by then in...more
June 29, 2022, 10:39 a.m.
Countries: El Salvador
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"Teodora del Carmen Vásquez was nine months pregnant and working at a school cafeteria when she felt extreme pain in her back, like the crack of a hammer. She called 911 seven times before fainting in a bathroom in a pool of blood. 2. The nightmare that followed is common in El Salvador, a heavily Catholic country where abortion is banned under all circumstances and even women who suffer miscarriages and stillbirths are sometimes accused of killing their babies and sentenced to years or even decades in prison. When Vásquez regained consciousness, she had lost her nearly full-term fetus. Instead of an ambulance, officers drove her in the bed of...more
June 29, 2022, 9:15 a.m.
Countries: El Salvador
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"A woman has been jailed for 30 years in El Salvador for 'aggravated homicide' after suffering a miscarriage. The mother-of-one, 28, had an obstetric emergency while pregnant in 2019 and took herself to hospital seeking urgent medical care. The woman, identified only as Esme, lost her unborn baby during treatment and now the Central American country has imposed its draconian anti-abortion laws on the housewife. A woman has been jailed for 30 years in El Salvador for 'aggravated homicide' after suffering a miscarriage...Hospital staff often report women who are miscarrying to the police" (para 1-4, 6). "The sentencing has prompted fury among pro-choice groups in El Salvador and fuelled dire...more
June 21, 2022, 8:35 a.m.
Countries: United Kingdom
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"The Committee welcomes the introduction, in June 2017, of a scheme to enable women from Northern Ireland to obtain access to abortion services in England with coverage by the National Health Service" (12).,
June 14, 2022, 5:24 p.m.
Countries: Denmark
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"[In Greenland] prevention is provided free of charge. But the abortion rate is high. Abortion is free of charge, but the rates are still at a high level compared to other countries. The health system is extremely attentive to the high abortion rate. Sexual health is a high priority. Naalakkersuisut works to strengthen the prevention work by including sexual health in the upcoming public health program in an interdisciplinary collaboration" (39). This indicates that society generally approves of abortion, but there is a concern about the high rates of abortion (JLR-CODER COMMENT). "In December 2013 a new counselling service, focusing on abortion, was established under the Ministry of Health and...more
June 9, 2022, 5:16 p.m.
Countries: Argentina
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"In Rio Grande, the province’s largest city, a helpline that tries to dissuade women from having an abortion is promoted in the public hospital. All the hospital’s doctors have declared themselves conscientious objectors, notes Cuomo. The law allows individual doctors to opt out on moral grounds but the institution has to ensure access to an abortion. Women are often sent to another city for late-stage abortions, in this case the provincial capital, Ushuaia, 220km away" (Para. 15). "Gabriela Chavez, a nurse in Resistencia, the capital of the northern province Chaco, says there is a fear among health professionals of a backlash to providing abortions but things are changing. 'A few...more
April 26, 2022, 1:16 p.m.
Countries: Spain
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"In practice, the legislation criminalises protests outside abortion clinics. The ban also applies to the harassment or intimidation of healthcare professionals working at abortion clinics"(para 5).
March 9, 2022, 9:27 a.m.
Countries: Colombia
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"A recent survey by the nonpartisan firm Ipsos found that while 82 percent of Colombian respondents supported abortion in some circumstances, just 26 percent supported it in all cases — and the court’s decision is likely to cause friction as abortion rights activists, policymakers, health care providers and others determine how it should be carried out" (para 27).
Feb. 28, 2022, 4:35 p.m.
Countries: El Salvador
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"A number of women charged under the 1998 penal code, which makes it illegal to perform, self-induce, or consent to an abortion under any circumstances, asserted they had suffered miscarriages, stillbirths, and other medical emergencies during childbirth. Legal experts pointed to serious flaws in forensics collection and medical interpretation in many of these cases"(9).
Jan. 13, 2022, 10:29 a.m.
Countries: Kenya
Variables: ABO-PRACTICE-1

"There were no reports of coerced abortion or involuntary sterilization"(38).