Philippines Media Statement for Sept. 28 International Safe Abortion Day: Uphold reproductive justice, fulfill the right to safe abortion!
Last week, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed the United Nations General Assembly during the High-Level General Debate. Glaringly absent, however, is the purview on gender. He commits to upholding justice, respecting human rights, and maintaining international peace and security, but these are nothing but empty promises if women and girls continue to unjustly face barriers to achieving their human rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) particularly the inability to access safe abortion.
The Philippines has one of the most restrictive laws against abortion in the world, without clear exceptions on any grounds. Despite legal restrictions, however, abortions have happened, and no severity of the law can stop them from happening. A thousand die each year attributed to clandestine abortions; this translates to three lives lost every day. Deaths from unsafe abortion complications are one of the leading factors to the country’s high mortality rate. For as long as the proper legal and policy guarantees are not institutionalized, more people will be put to danger.