ABSTRACT

This research paper contains the philosophical, historical and legal view of ‘abortion’.
Abortion in its literal sense means the termination of pregnancy by removal of an embryo or
foetus. The issue has received tremendous well deserved attention not only nationally but also
internationally.
INTRODUCTION

“Abortion is health care, abortion is freedom, and abortion is bodily autonomy. A country
without this human right is not a free country”.

Everybody has their own perception about women’s body and what they should do regarding
it affecting her right in many ways. While talking about major rights related to women one
should not ignore the most important right and that is Right to Abortion. In Indian Penal
code, 1860 abortion is referred as “causing miscarriage” and is considered as punitive
offence. IPC majorly focuses on miscarriage on purpose by the women without considering
the fact that women are put under heavy pressure caused not only by their family but also by
the society as a whole. Women has always been objectified with her being considered
someone else’s property not having any right of her own whether it be her health or the child
she nurtures inside of her.

The main question that arises when we talk about abortion is the right of the female in
connection with the right to life of the unborn child. In our Indian Constitution Article 21
deals with Right to life and personal liberty. The Right to Abortion certainly falls under the
purview of Article 21 of the Indian Constitution as does the Right to live with dignity and
make free choices unless they interfere with the current procedure of law. If we go by the law
it is the choice of the mother to decide whether she wants to keep the baby or not and nobody
can interfere in this matter. According to this article it is upon the women to decide what she
wants to do with her body and go for what’s best for her.

Abortion is matter of concern for not only women but society as a whole. There are many
instances where the health of the mother is at risk during pregnancy and her continuing the
same is not advisable. The reason in such cases varies based upon situation but generally
there are high chances of child being born with disabilities or born at the cost of mother’s life
or mother’s body not strong enough to bear the child. The right of abortion is the right always
supressed by society under weight of customs they promote making the right more of a
unachievable goal where women are being stopped by shackles of guilt of taking a life from
doing what’s necessary to stay alive.

In today's world abortion is a matter which is under a lot of lime light because of step taken
by the most influential country of all the time and that is USA. As it has always been seen
that the step they take is the step we follow. Whether it be in terms of dressing or having a
lifestyle like them, all the countries follow this hegemony blindly creating fear in the minds
of many throughout the world that what happened there can also happen in the country they
live. When something major happens in a country like USA it impacts all the developing
countries including India and others.