With a 237 to 189 vote, a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks in the U.S. was approved by the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
Hidden in the House Republican budget bill, to be considered this week, are funding cuts for reproductive health services and new curbs on health care providers.
Women around the world continue to struggle not only with draconian laws that deny them ownership of their own bodies, but also the threat of hard-won rights being rolled back. Here, we take a look at some of the places around the world that are playing the long game for abortion reform.
Democratic leadership has said abortion won't be a "litmus test" for candidates. But they can't make progress on economic and racial justice without fighting for abortion rights.
Lawmakers in Missouri set the tone for a dark week in health care reform for women. On Tuesday, the House sent a bill to the state Senate that, if passed, will infringe on the rights of women seeking abortions, and hamper the work of abortion providers.
Last year Sierra Leone seemed on the verge of legalizing abortion for the first time in 150 years. Last-minute intervention by religious leaders derailed the bill, and now the US global gag rule poses an additional obstacle.
I remember I was 5 years old as I watched my mother repeatedly climb to the highest part of the bed only to jump right back off again. I was confused. I could see that she was in emotional and physical pain. I was sad for her.
The recent Lancet Series on Maternal Health confirms a well-established reality: The majority of preventable maternal deaths continue to occur in areas affected by humanitarian crisis, largely as a result of poor maternal care. But this reminder is also accompanied by a chronic offense. Contraception is not given the spotlight it deserves.
