Here you can find information about political. legal and medical develoments on abortion.
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Abortion laws Worldwide
Legal World Map -
RED Abortion illegal in all circumstances or permitted only to save a woman's life. PINK Abortion legally permitted only to save a woman's life or protect her physical health. YELLOW Abortion legally permitted only to protect mental health. BLUE Abortion legally permitted on socioeconomic grounds WHITE Abortion on request
Approximately 25% of the world population lives in countries with highly restrictive abortion laws, mostly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. These are the countries where abortion is most restricted according to the law. In some countries, such as in Chili, women still go to prison for having an illegal abortion.
For abortion laws in specific countries click here to see ABORTION LAWS OF THE WORLD from Harvard university
Legalization of abortion can prevent the unnecessary suffering and death of women. Restrictive abortion laws violate women's human rights based on agreements made at the UN International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article 1 & 3 &12 &19 & 27.1).
Prior to the beginning of the 19th century, there were no abortion laws in existence. In 1869 Pope Pius IX declared that ensoulement occurs at conception. As a result the laws in the 19th century did not allow any termination of pregnancy. These laws form the basis of the restrictive legislation on abortion that still exist in many developing countries. Between 1950 and 1985 almost all developed countries liberalized their abortion laws for reasons of human rights and safety. Where abortion is still illegal this is often due to old colonial laws and not always an expression of the opinion of the local population.
Colorindex to the map:
RED
Abortion illegal in all circumstances or permitted only to save a woman's life.PINK
Abortion legally permitted only to save a woman's life or protect her physical health.YELLOW
Abortion legally permitted only to protect mental health.BLUE
Abortion legally permitted on socioeconomic groundsWHITE
Abortion on requestRed countries on the map
South America:
Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gustamala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nigaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela,Sub-Saharan Africa:
Angola, Benin, Central African Rep.Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Gabon, Guinea- Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mauretania, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda.Middle East and North Africa:
Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Sudan (r), Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.Asia and Pacific:
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka.Europe:
Ireland, Malta.PINK countries on the map
The Americas and the Caribbean:
Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, UruguaySub-Saharan Africa:
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Malawi, Mozambique, ZimbabweMiddle East and North Africa:
Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi ArabiAsia and Pacific:
Pakistan, South Korea, ThailandEurope:
Poland -
Abortion laws Worldwide
Legal World Map -
RED Abortion illegal in all circumstances or permitted only to save a woman's life. PINK Abortion legally permitted only to save a woman's life or protect her physical health. YELLOW Abortion legally permitted only to protect mental health. BLUE Abortion legally permitted on socioeconomic grounds WHITE Abortion on request
Approximately 25% of the world population lives in countries with highly restrictive abortion laws, mostly in Latin America, Africa and Asia. These are the countries where abortion is most restricted according to the law. In some countries, such as in Chili, women still go to prison for having an illegal abortion.
For abortion laws in specific countries click here to see ABORTION LAWS OF THE WORLD from Harvard university
Legalization of abortion can prevent the unnecessary suffering and death of women. Restrictive abortion laws violate women's human rights based on agreements made at the UN International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, the Fourth World Conference on Women in Beijing and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (article 1 & 3 &12 &19 & 27.1).
Prior to the beginning of the 19th century, there were no abortion laws in existence. In 1869 Pope Pius IX declared that ensoulement occurs at conception. As a result the laws in the 19th century did not allow any termination of pregnancy. These laws form the basis of the restrictive legislation on abortion that still exist in many developing countries. Between 1950 and 1985 almost all developed countries liberalized their abortion laws for reasons of human rights and safety. Where abortion is still illegal this is often due to old colonial laws and not always an expression of the opinion of the local population.
Colorindex to the map:
RED
Abortion illegal in all circumstances or permitted only to save a woman's life.PINK
Abortion legally permitted only to save a woman's life or protect her physical health.YELLOW
Abortion legally permitted only to protect mental health.BLUE
Abortion legally permitted on socioeconomic groundsWHITE
Abortion on requestRed countries on the map
South America:
Brazil, Colombia, Chile, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Gustamala, Haiti, Honduras, Mexico, Nigaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Venezuela,Sub-Saharan Africa:
Angola, Benin, Central African Rep.Chad, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, Dem. Rep. of Congo, Gabon, Guinea- Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Mali, Mauretania, Mauritius, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, Togo, Uganda.Middle East and North Africa:
Afghanistan, Egypt, Iran, Lebanon, Libya, Oman, Sudan (r), Syria, United Arab Emirates, Yemen.Asia and Pacific:
Bangladesh, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sri Lanka.Europe:
Ireland, Malta.PINK countries on the map
The Americas and the Caribbean:
Argentina, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Peru, UruguaySub-Saharan Africa:
Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Guinea, Malawi, Mozambique, ZimbabweMiddle East and North Africa:
Kuwait, Morocco, Saudi ArabiAsia and Pacific:
Pakistan, South Korea, ThailandEurope:
Poland -
Women on Waves
Women on Waves is a Dutch non-profit organization concerned with women's human rights. Its mission is to prevent unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions throughout the world.
How can I do an abortion with pills?
The best and safest way a woman can do an abortion herself until the 9th week of pregnancy is with the use of two medicines called Mifepristone (also known as the abortion pill, RU 486, Mifegyn, Mifeprex), and Misoprostol (also known as Cytotec, Arthrotec, Oxaprost , Cyprostol, Mibetec, Prostokos or Misotrol).
A medical abortion done this way has a success rate of more than 97%. If you live in a country where there is no access to safe abortion services and you would like to obtain a medical abortion with Mifepristone and Misoprostol, please go to Women on Web. This is a online medical abortion help service that refers to a doctor who can provide you with a medical abortion.
A woman can also do an abortion herself until the 9th week of pregnancy with only the use of Misoprostol.
- Press release:
Staatssercetaris Bussemaker licht kamer verkeerd voor!
Staatssecretaris Bussemaker en Minister Hirsch Ballin lichten Tweede Kamerleden verkeerd voor over de overtijdbehandeling (OTB), de wijziging van het Besluit Afbreking Zwangerschap (BAZ) en de strafbaarheid van de OTB door Women on Waves.
Argentina "Safe abortion hotline" July 2009
Women needing help in Argentina:
(011) 156 664 7070
Press information:
0054 911 57 37 9584
or masinformacion.menosriesgos@yahoo.com.arIn Argentina abortion is illegal in most cases. There are about 500,000 abortions per year, most of them clandestine. About 68,000 women enter the public hospitals each year with post-abortion complications, and annually around 100 of these women die.
The goal of the hotline, “Abortion: more information, less risks” is to democratize access to information on the correct way to have a safe abortion using misoprostol.- June 30, 20009:
Letter to Google concerning Restricting Advertisements that Promote Abortion Services
The Health Equity and Law Clinic of the University of Toronto wrote the following letter for Google together with Women on Waves. It concerns the recent Google policy to restrict adds for abortion related information and services in certain countries.
Sexual Health Services and abortion clinics Worldwide
For almost each country we have listed some family planning, women's and abortion rights organisations. Where abortion is legal you can find information about abortion clinics and for European countries where abortion is illegal information about clinics in neighboring countries and travel advice.
If you live in a country where there is no access to safe abortion services and you would like to obtain a medical abortion with Mifepristone and Misoprostol, please go to Women on Web. This is a online medical abortion help service that refers to a doctor who can provide you with a medical abortion.People needed
We are looking for people that would like to join the email helpdesk to help women with unwanted pregnancies from all over the world in the following languages:
Polish
Arabic
Portuguese
You should be based in the Netherlands so that you can be trained. Are you a native speaker and would you be willing to work on the helpdesk, write an email to info@womenonwaves.org.
Abortion hotline Chile, May 2009
Press inquiries: +0056 984668855
- Press release: February 3rd, 2009
European Court rules that Portugal violated Freedom of Expression of Women on Waves.
Spain, October 2008
Women on Waves has visited Spain from October 16 till 21 at the invitation of 33 Spanish organisations (please click here for list) concerned with a better abortion law.
If you need help with abortion in Spain now, click here
Break the silence
You can help support abortion rights and help break the taboo around abortion. Please go to Women on Web to show your face and share your story. Or donate money to help other women around the world to get safe abortion.
If you live in a country where there is no access to safe abortion services and you would like to obtain a medical abortion with Mifepristone and Misoprostol, please go to Women on Web. This is a online medical abortion help service that refers to a doctor who can provide you with a medical abortion.