Supporters of abortion rights around the world—including Ipas staff and partners—are marking International Safe Abortion Day today with diverse in-person and online actions.
At Ipas, we’ve spent every day throughout our 50 years as an organization fighting for abortion access. And today, we stand with our partners across the globe to call for abortion access for all.
Our 50 years in this fight has taught us a simple truth: Abortion affects every body. Everyone in society benefits when we protect reproductive freedom, and so every single person has a stake in making sure abortion is accessible to all.
That’s why we’ve developed a comprehensive approach to expanding abortion access that harnesses all sectors of society: activists, health providers, educators, community leaders, lawmakers, youth groups and more. We bring the collective strength of this powerful global network to bear in everything we do—because building sustainable abortion access requires every body.
How Ipas teams are marking September 28
The day provides an opportunity for public education and raising awareness of the importance of abortion access with a variety of audiences. Here are just some of the activities Ipas teams have planned.
- Social media campaigns in Latin America and Nepal
- Panel discussion with university students in Nigeria
- Webinar on abortion access across Southeast Asia hosted by Ipas Indonesia
- IG Live on reproductive rights in Indonesia
- Public march in South Africa
- Online information campaign by Ipas-supported youth movement in Democratic Republic of Congo
- Online information sharing on Ipas-supported youth-focused website in Kenya
- Radio shows, a workshop for government officials, and public marches and health fairs with partners in Mozambique
- Ipas Africa Alliance drafted and shared a joint statement with the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights
- Ipas helped develop a joint statement on abortion rights for delivery at the 54th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva
- Maria Antonieta Alcalde, Director of Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean, co-authored an op-ed: “Governments must decriminalize abortion to save women’s lives.”
The global movement for legal, accessible abortion is growing…and Ipas is on the front lines.
Over two decades, International Safe Abortion Day on September 28th has evolved—from a regional effort by activists in Latin America and the Caribbean to a global day of action involving 85 countries. What’s driven this expansion? The growth of grassroots movements for abortion access around the world, including the celebrated Green Wave feminist movement in Latin America.
And Ipas has been an integral part of these growing movements. Expanding from work in just a few countries in our early years, we are now a global network working with partners in more than 30 countries throughout Africa, the Americas and Asia to ensure all people can access high-quality abortion care.
Dr. Malena Morales
Director, Ipas Bolivia
“I am proud that in Latin America, Ipas is changing women’s lives—and is a pioneer in our comprehensive approach to abortion access. Ipas has always been an incredibly resilient organization, innovating and evolving to address people’s reproductive health needs.”
The next 50 years: A bright future for abortion access
As we commemorate International Safe Abortion Day alongside our partners around the world, we’re also looking with excitement to the future. We know that factors like successful grassroots movements, digital innovations, and growing public support for bodily autonomy and reproductive justice will drive an unprecedented expansion of abortion access over the next 50 years.
Dr. Angela Akol
Director, Ipas Africa Alliance
“Ipas’s work in East Africa breaks barriers and makes way for partners to follow, and that makes me immensely proud. The next 50 years will bring less restrictive laws ands policies for abortion care, as well as incredible revolutions in health-care technology. Ipas will be an impactful leader in developing new technologies that expand access to quality sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion.”
Dr. Marcia Soumokil
Director, Ipas Indonesia
“I’m proud of how Ipas has helped expand reproductive rights and championed the need for safe abortion access in Indonesia. I believe the next 50 years will see Ipas using advancements in technology, globalization, and interconnectedness to ensure reproductive rights for all.”
Join us
When you support Ipas, you join a global movement grounded in communities and in the conviction that abortion affects every body. Here’s what you can do to join us for International Safe Abortion Day:
Donate in honor of Ipas’s 50th anniversary
Become an Abortion Access Champion by setting up a monthly donation
“
“When you support Ipas, you help fuel a global network. You ensure we can take both immediate actions to protect abortion access today and invest in the long-term strategies and movement building needed to ensure abortion rights for the next generation.”
—Anu Kumar, Ipas President and CEO