Access to safe abortion: an essential strategy for achieving the Millennium Development Goals to improve maternal health, promote gender equality and

Political will needed to advance women's access to safe abortion

By: Crane, BB & Hord Smith, CE
Published by: Millennium Project, 2007
Via: Eldis

This paper by the UN Millennium Project analyses the need to reform abortion laws and policies in order to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) on maternal health, gender equality and poverty reduction. The paper reviews existing international agreements which support access to safe and legal abortion including the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) Programme of Action, and the actions of international bodies, governments and non-governmental organisations in promoting women’s access to safe abortion.

The paper argues that members of these institutions operating at the international level have critical responsibilities to take a stand on this issue. They should: promote informed dialogue on abortion as an ethical, human rights and public health issue and on the public policy implications of restrictive abortion laws; and advocate for serious and evidence-based reviews of the national situation regarding abortion in every country. The paper concludes that strong efforts to develop new political will to advance women’s access to safe abortion care should be pursued as part of the global commitment to achieve the MDGs.

(http://www.unmillenniumproject.org/documents/Crane_and_Hord-Smith-final.pdf)