PINSAN 3rd International Exchange on Decriminalization of Abortion

March 9, 2021

2020 has been a particularly challenging year. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic forced the healthcare system around the world to shift its priority to combat the spread of the virus, making it difficult to provide SRH services especially to women and girls. This was further aggravated with the lockdowns restricting mobility. In a research conducted by the UNFPA, it was stated that more than 47 million women could lose access to contraception leading to 7 million unintended pregnancies as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. The study also cited an additional 31 million cases of gender- based violence during the same period, with a further 15 million more cases expected for every three months the lockdowns continue.

In the midst of a pandemic, women’s health and rights activists continue to fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights, including advocating for access to safe abortion. In 2020, countries such as Argentina, South Korea, and Thailand have successfully advanced the fight to
decriminalize abortion in their country.

In 2020, Argentina made history as the largest Catholic country in Latin America to decriminalize abortion. The approved bill legalises terminations in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy for any reason. This massive success is hoped to inspire other countries in Latin America to change their
abortion laws as well.

In South Korea, a bill to decriminalize abortion up to 14 weeks in pregnancy, and permitting abortion for pregnancies as a result of rape between the 15th and 24th weeks was proposed in October 2020. As members of the National Assembly failed to pass the bill and enact an amendment to the existing abortion law which was due to expire after a year according to the Constitutional Court’s decision in 2019, on, South Korea’s Criminal Code provisions on abortion have been completely repealed as of January 1, 2021 which means those seeking abortion care will no longer face legal barriers in accessing this.

Thailand’s actions to decriminalize abortion has also resulted in making abortion legal in the first trimester. Before this, abortion was illegal in the country, regardless of the duration of the pregnancy and was allowed only in limited circumstances governed by the country’s medical council.
However, if the abortion will take place later in the pregnancy, penalties are still in place for people who will undergo.

In September 28, 2020, the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN) launched the decriminalization of abortion campaign in the Philippines. Inspired by the recent successes of abortion rights campaigns particularly in Argentina, Thailand, South Korea along with Ireland and the
current activism in Poland and Honduras, WGNRR, in partnership with the Center for Reproductive Rights, will organize the 3rd International Exchange of the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN) on decriminalization of abortion to learn from the strategies of safe abortion rights activists, including activists in the US on the recent reversal of the Global Gag Rule.

We will engage Filipino SRHR and safe abortion advocates in a webinar on advancing the right to safe abortion and learning effective strategies to decriminalize abortion. WGNRR will invite experts from Argentina, Thailand, South Korea, Honduras, Poland, and US.

The online workshop will have a 2-hour learning session on March 16 and 17, 2021 from 21:00-23:00 PHT.

The webinar series will gather 50 Filipino advocates, youth leaders, and grassroots community leaders for a 2-day learning session.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Discuss the strategies contributing to the successes of the campaign to decriminalize abortion in the context of Argentina, South Korea, and Thailand.
  2. Identify the challenges and barriers to initiatives to decriminalize abortion in Poland and Honduras and ways to overcome them.
  3. Discuss the outlooks and possible effects of the reversal of the Global Gag Rule.
  4. Effectively link the importance of grassroots and community participation in the campaign to decriminalize abortion and fight for access to safe abortion.
  5. Share lessons learned in the campaign to decriminalize abortion.

The event is supported by Safe Abortion Action Fund (SAAF).

For details on how to join in the Learning Exchange, please email sarryna@wgnrr.org