Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Erosion of abortion rights gathers pace around the world as US signals new era

Erosion of abortion rights gathers pace around the world as US signals new era

A leaked supreme court draft ruling shows the US is set to end 50 years of a woman’s right to choose. Elsewhere, the battle still rages

In 2022, abortion remains one of the most controversial and bitterly contested ethical and political battlegrounds. It is illegal for women to terminate their pregnancies in any circumstance in 24 countries, with a further 37 restricting access in any case except when the mother’s life is in danger.

As a leaked document signals that the US supreme court is poised to strike down the landmark 1973 ruling in Roe v Wade, millions of American women face losing their access to legal abortions, joining millions more living in those countries rejecting a woman’s right to choose.

According to data from the World Health Organization (WHO), unsafe abortions kill more than 47,000 people every year, with five million hospitalised for complications such as bleeding or infection.

WHO data also shows that banning abortions has little or no effect on abortion rates throughout the world.


Latin America


Latin America has some of the world’s most extreme anti-abortion laws. Abortion is illegal under any circumstances in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Honduras. Since 1998, at least 140 women in El Salvador, where abortion is punishable with up to 35 years imprisonment, have been charged under anti-abortion laws. Many of them had suffered a miscarriage.

In Brazil, under the far-right president Jair Bolsonaro, access to abortion – only legal in the country on the grounds of rape, severe foetal defects and women’s health – has been curtailed. In 2020, the country introduced new legislation that requires medical staff to inform the police of rape survivors seeking the procedure.

However, other countries on the continent have broadened access to legal abortions. In February, Colombia decriminalised abortion, while Chile signalled that wider access to abortions may be enshrined in its new constitution.

Pro-choice activists calling for decriminalising abortion raise green handkerchiefs as they rally outside the Argentinian Congress in Buenos Aires in 2019.


In 2020, Argentina legalised abortion on request in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. Uruguay passed similar legislation, allowing abortions up to the 12th week of pregnancy, in 2012.


Africa


Africa has the highest death rate related to unsafe abortions, according to the Guttmacher Institute, with 92% of women of reproductive age in the region having restricted access to legal terminations. The Center for Reproductive Rights estimates that the deaths of up to 15,000 women a year could be prevented by improving access to safe abortions across the continent.

In several countries, including Egypt, Democratic Republic of Congo and Senegal, abortion is completely illegal. According to the Association of Senegalese Women Lawyers, 19% of female prisoners in Senegal in 2015 were incarcerated on the grounds of abortion or infanticide.

However, the number of African countries that allow abortion on request is growing. In 2021, Benin became the seventh country in the continent to legalise the procedure in the first trimester.


Europe


Nearly all European countries offer legal abortions, yet it remains completely illegal in three microstates: Andorra, Malta and Vatican City. However, convictions in these countries remain rare.

Poland is the only country where access to abortion is highly restricted. After a legislative ban was introduced in 2021, abortion can only be carried out when the pregnancy was caused by an illegal act, such as rape or incest, or when it threatens a woman’s health. In reality, though, it is difficult to secure a legal abortion on the grounds of rape, with fewer than five legal abortions a year carried out for this reason. Even when a woman’s health is at risk, doctors have become reluctant to carry out an abortion, leading to several deaths.

In December, Poland also announced it is planning to introduce a centralised register of pregnancies that would oblige doctors to report all pregnancies and miscarriages to the government.

In Romania, women are finding it increasingly difficult to access their legal right to abortion, with doctors refusing to provide the service. A 2019 survey found that only 25% of hospitals offered to carry out the procedure on request.

A sticker in Warsaw with the phone number of an abortion rights organisation. It says: ‘Abortion Without Borders. You are not alone.’


Asia


According to the WHO, more than half of all unsafe abortions occur in Asia, most of them in south and central Asia. Abortion remains completely illegal in Laos and the Philippines.

The Philippines’ ban is still based on colonial-era laws introduced by the Spanish in 1870. An additional law passed in 1987 obliges the government to place equal weight on protecting the “life of the unborn from conception” as on the life of the mother. Reproductive services are also severely curtailed, with emergency contraception, also known as the morning-after pill, banned across the country.

A woman who has an abortion in the Philippines risks up to six years in prison. While there is no collected data on how many are convicted on abortion-related offences, reports of such cases in local media are not rare.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×