WHY ARE ABORTION RIGHTS

IMPORTANT?
PRESENTATION BY- WAGMI SHARMA 11-K
 INTRODUCTION

Abortion has always been a controversial subject. While many people

believe that it’s a woman’s right to choose whether or not she selects to
have an abortion, others have religious, political, emotional, personal
morals that lead them to believe that having an abortion is wrong. It all
comes down to various upbringing, ethics, religious backgrounds, political
alignments and other attributes that play into forming opinions. Because
of these factors and more, abortion rates vary significantly between
nations.
 SOP (Statement Of
Purpose)
So now I would like to draw a conclusion to the above topic by shedding
my own thoughts that why I’ve chosen this topic-
• I believe that safe abortion should be incorporated and talked about
more to bring awareness among people and most importantly to bring
the lives of teen mothers who have to carry the weight of the womb
before they get mature, this will not only bring the overpopulation
growth graph downwards but also eradicate the dismal lives of women.

• The goal of this initiative is also to highlight the importance of safe

abortion and the repercussions of illegal abortion in the event of legal
ban. Unsafe abortions can have fatal consequences so much, that
unsafe abortions are the third leading cause of maternal deaths
worldwide and lead to an additional five million largely preventable
disabilities, according to the WHO (World Health Organization) .
 Hypothesis :
• I am trying to research about how abortion rights are important
for a person irrespective of the gender, not only women but also
people with other gender identities who have the reproductive
capacity to become pregnant.
• One may have abortion for many reasons such as failure of birth
control, reasons related to their circumstances, including their
socioeconomic status, age, health, parity and marital status or the
need to focus on their other children.
• It is essential that laws relating to abortion respect, protect and
fulfil the human rights of pregnant persons and not force them to
seek out unsafe abortions.
• Now, many countries have considered abortion legal including
India, the law is forward looking, empathetic and looks at a very
sensitive issue with a human face. But, a lot of people still perceive
this as a criminal offence because of lack of knowledge about the
laws and in many cases they are forced to carry out an unsafe
abortion. Hence, awareness about this is extremely important.
WHAT IS AN
ABORTION?
Abortion is a
method of
terminating a
pregnancy.
The embryo or
fetus, as well as the
placenta, are
removed from the
uterus using
medication or
surgery.
 PRO LIFE VS PRO
CHOICE
1.A "pro-life" person thinks that the 1. "Pro-choice" supporters think that individuals have
government has a responsibility to protect complete control over their reproductive systems as long
every human life, regardless of its intent, as they do not infringe on the freedom of others.
viability, or quality of life problems.

2.Whether you are a preborn baby, a newborn, an elderly 2. Pro-choice advocates think that everyone has the
person, or someone with disabilities and special fundamental human right to choose when and whether to
needs, your life matters. have children.
 ABORTION-RIGHTS MOVEMENT
Pro-choice groups, often known as abortion-rights
movements, fight for legal access to induced abortion
services, such as elective abortion. It's a counter-
argument to the anti-abortion movement. The abortion
rights movement aims to represent and assist women
who want to terminate their fetus at any stage of their
pregnancy.
WHY ARE WOMEN'S
RIGHTS MORE IMPORTANT
THAN A FETUS'
1. A woman is a living person,
and is both physically and
mentally developed.
2. A fetus is not considered a
human being scientifically and
has no mental features, and
hence, does not have any
rights under the charter.
COMMON MYTHS REGARDING
ABORTION
MYTH :
ABORTION US USED AS A FORM OF BIRTH
CONTROL
FACT :
Obtaining contraception is easier than
accessing abortion services.
There is no evidence that shows people use
abortion as a primary method of birth
control. Most people who get bortions report
using contraception during the month they
become pregnant.
MYTH :
PEOPLE HAVE ABORTION FOR FRIVOLOUS
REASONS
FACT :
The reality is, people get abortions for a myriad
of reasons.
Making a choice about abortion, adoption, or
parenting is based on individual life
circumstances. Many people will choose to
have an abortion because their social,
economic, or health circumstances make them
unable or unwilling to continue a pregnancy or
raise a child.
Either way, it’s a decision that should be up to
them.
MYTH :
ABORTION IS DANGEROUS TO
YOUR HEALTH
FACT :
An early abortion is many times
safer than childbirth. Only about
0.5% of abortions result in
complications and these are
generally minor and treatable, such
as infection. There is no medically
accepted evidence that shows any
link between abortion and any type
of illness or disease.
MYTH :
THOSE WHO HAVE ABORTIONS
ARE HARMED
PSYCHOLOGICALLY BY THEIR
EXPERIENCE.
FACT :
All significant life decisions can
bring a range of emotions. No
evidence has been found to
support the existence of
“post-abortion syndrome”. On the
other hand, forcing someone to
become a parent before they’re
ready can cause psychological
harm.
 COUNTRIES THAT HAVE
BANNED ABORTIONS
Some nations throughout the world have taken away a woman's freedom to choose and
have made abortion illegal for all women.

DOMINICAN
POLAND EL SALVADOR EGYPT IRAQ PHILIPPINES
REPUBLIC
The law on abortion in
countries today
Abortion was made illegal in the United Kingdom by sections 58 and
59 of the Offences against the Person Act of 1861, with one element
further specified in the Infant Life Preservation Act of 1929, and later
legalized under specific situations in the United Kingdom. Legal
causes for abortion are laid out as exceptions to the criminal law in
the 1967 Abortion Statute, but the 1861 act is still in effect and is
being used to punish unlawful abortions today.

Ireland was also subject to the 1861 Offences against the Person Act,
which was finally abolished in the 2013 Protection of Life During
Pregnancy Act, which enforced its own nearly complete
criminalization of abortion. The Safe Abortion Act which was enacted
overwhelmingly in December 2015 and again in February 2016. That
act provides for abortion on demand throughout the first 12 weeks of
pregnancy, as well as until week 24 in cases of rape, incest, or harm
to the fetus' or woman's or girl's health, but it was never signed into
law.
Abortion was allowed in 98 percent of the world's countries at
the turn of the twentieth century to save a woman's life.
Other reasons for abortion were: preserving the
woman's physical health (63 percent); preserving the
woman's mental health (62 percent); rape, sexual abuse, or
incest (43 percent); fetal abnormality or disability (39 percent);
economic or social reasons (33 percent); and on request (33
percent) (27 percent ).

The number of countries in 2002 that permitted each of these

grounds varied greatly by region. Thus, abortion was
permitted upon request in 65% of developed countries but
only 14% of developing countries, and for economic and
social reasons in 75% of developed countries but only 19% of
developing countries.14 Some countries permit additional
grounds for abortion, such as if the woman has HIV, is under
the age of 16 or over the age of 40, is not married, or has
many children. A few also allow it to protect existing children
or because of contraceptive failure.
ABORTION RIGHTS IN INDIA ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL
TERMINATION(AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021

1. The gestation limit for abortions is 24 weeks, but only for

special categories of women such as survivors of rape,
victims of incest and other vulnerable women (differently
abled women, minors, among others). But this termination
would need the approval of two registered doctors.

2. All pregnancies up to 20 weeks require one doctor’s

approval and approval of two doctors is needed for the
20-24 timeline reserved for abortion seekers of special
categories.
ABORTION RIGHTS IN INDIA ACCORDING TO THE MEDICAL
TERMINATION(AMENDMENT) ACT, 2021

3. Upper gestation limit to not apply in cases of substantial foetal

abnormalities diagnosed by a Medical Board.
4. Confidentiality clause. The name and other particulars of a woman
whose pregnancy has been terminated cannot be revealed except to a
person authorised by law.
5. Extended MTP services under the failure of contraceptive clause to
unmarried women to provide access to safe abortion based on a
woman’s choice, irrespective of marital status.
 CONCLUSION
To finish my discussion, I'd want to
emphasize that every woman has the
freedom to make her own decisions. They
should not be criticized or looked down
upon for selecting themselves and
prioritizing themselves. Their decisions
should not define them as people, and
their rights should be respected equally
to men's. Slowly but steadily, abortion
will be recognized and understood by
everybody, and it will no longer be
considered a sin.
THANK YOU FOR
YOUR TIME AND
PATIENCE