Activists hail SC judgment on abortion rights

CHENNAI: Welcoming the Supreme Court judgment, Archanaa Seker, a Chennai-based activist working for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) said it is to be appreciated that the judges have taken into consideration the legal loopholes that can work against women accessing abortion.

“The judgment has complete clarity on paper that any woman regardless of marital status can resort to abortion. However, it is important to understand that we are a country of women with minimal access to abortion or indulge with the legality of it,” she said.

“The public could still operate on moral and prejudiced grounds. So, every citizen must be made aware of the laws. Subsequently, regulate and monitor if the service providers are following the laws, without bringing their morality into play,” added Archanaa.

She also pointed out that most people think abortion is illegal in India. “Hence to address all this, the need for quality sex education, access to contraception and information on laws are a must,” she insisted.

Professor of Madras Institute of Development Studies (MIDS), S Anandi called the judgment a progressive one. However, she stressed the need for safe abortion clinics.

“To practice the judgment, the government should ensure there is easy access to abortion at safe clinics in our cities. Even then, the social taboo must be primarily dealt with for women to approach for abortion.”

If not, Anandi said, women will have to resort to unsafe means of abortion, which are dangerous.