28 September: The Abortion Rights Alliance for Inclusion, Safety and Empowerment (ARISE), a national alliance of public health professionals, safe abortion providers, legal advocates, feminist and human rights organisations, was launched yesterday, to demand urgent, coordinated action to ensure universal, stigma-free access to safe abortion services across India.
Despite the 2021 amendment to the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, which has expanded conditional access to safe abortion services for a wider category of abortion seekers, access remains deeply uneven. In a landmark judgement in 2022, the Supreme Court affirmed the right of a woman to terminate a pregnancy up to 24 weeks of gestation, within the context of the amended MTP Act, despite her marital status. However, recent judgments have rolled back these progressive wins, ruling against a woman’s right to terminate a pregnancy on the grounds of an expanded gestation period. Around 15.6 million abortions take place in India annually, yet studies indicate that a significant proportion remain unsafe. In addition to deep-rooted abortion stigma, conflation of laws, such as the Pre-Conception and Pre-Natal Diagnostic Techniques (PCPNDT) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, complicate access to safe abortion. Although designed to address sex selection and protect minors from sexual abuse, in practice, these create fear among providers and create barriers for pregnant persons, including young people, seeking abortion care.
People in rural settings and marginalised communities, including trans men and non-binary people, face intersecting barriers. “Young people and marginalised communities face multiple barriers. The alliance calls upon stakeholders to align to fully expand access to intersectional, stigma-free, safe abortion services”, says Dr Suchitra Dalvie, Member, Steering Committee of the Alliance and Coordinator of the Asia Safe Abortion Partnership.
Despite the protections under the MTP Act (Amendment) 2021, persistent implementation barriers prevent people from accessing safe abortion services. “The MTP Act enables conditional access to safe abortion services and provides a framework for abortion providers. However, healthcare providers, more than ever, are hesitant to offer services due to fear of legal repercussions. The Alliance will advocate for health system strengthening but also advocate for legal and policy reforms that expand access to safe, dignified abortion care without fear or delay”, says Dr Kalpana Apte, Chairperson, Steering Committee of the Alliance, and Director General of Family Planning Association of India, which currently holds the Secretariat of the Alliance.
By bringing together researchers, legal advocates, and youth-led and feminist organisations, ARISE aims to strengthen collective action, generate evidence, and push for policy change. “Abortion is a reality that people facing an unwanted pregnancy choose every day, regardless of legal restrictions. When we criminalise people accessing these services, we don’t stop abortions from happening, we simply push people towards unsafe abortion practices”, says Vinoj Manning, CEO of Ipas Development Foundation and Member, Steering Committee of the Alliance.
Members of the Alliance demand abortion to be seen not merely as a healthcare intervention but as a fundamental human right, and champion its vision for a future where all persons have the autonomy and agency to uphold their sexual and reproductive health rights and justice.
For any queries, please contact:
Dr Manisha Bhise, Director, Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation
The Family Planning Association of India, Secretariat, Abortion Rights Alliance for Inclusion, Safety and Empowerment (ARISE)
Email: manishabhise@fpaindia.org
Phone: +91 9702774343
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