Why Safe Abortion is More Than Just a Law
Photo courtesy of Amnesty International
Today is International Safe Abortion Day
The right to abortion is about access to healthcare, not a criminal act. However in Sri Lanka, access to a safe abortion is obscured by a 19th century law and deep-seated social stigma. This combination forces countless women into secrecy and unsafe conditions, perpetuating a cycle of fear and trauma that the law alone cannot fix.
Sonali Silva, a researcher at the Safe Abortion Coalition Sri Lanka, is currently working on her PhD at LSE on abortion stigma in Sri Lanka. Her journey into reproductive health advocacy began during her time with the World Health Organization (WHO) in Sri Lanka. As the gender equity rights officer, her job was to discuss WHO’s 2019 guidelines on self-managed abortion with local stakeholders. She found that the resistance was eye opening; “What I expected to be a professional conversation about public health data quickly turned into a negotiation over women’s bodies. I couldn’t understand how we had arrived at a place where a woman’s fundamental right to bodily autonomy was up for debate.”
Sonali notes that in Sri Lanka, the ability to detach and claim that abortion doesn’t happen here is part of the problem. The Penal Code of 1883 makes abortion a criminal offense except when it is performed to save the life of the pregnant woman. In practice, this law creates legal and administrative barriers, a slow public healthcare system and a pervasive fear of criminal consequences that makes timely access to safe abortion impossible.
In addition to the legislation, the court of public opinion is just as powerful in creating barriers to safe abortions. Decades of misinformation have created a visceral, almost instinctive reaction of shame around the word abortion. Sonali adds that this prevents an honest conversation about it as a healthcare service and from understanding who is most impacted when access is denied. The reality is that criminalisation only affects the most vulnerable; those with financial means can simply travel abroad for a safe abortion.
Breaking this silence around abortion requires both legal reform and a dismantling of deep social stigma. It also demands better collaboration between the healthcare and education systems, which have failed to work together to provide comprehensive sex education and contraception information. This institutional disconnect leaves generations of young people without the correct information about their bodies and their health.
The current debate often focuses on allowing abortion on narrow grounds such as in cases of rape, incest or fatal fetal abnormalities. Sonali says, “While there’s a strong push to legalise it for fatal fetal abnormalities, I am concerned with this approach. It creates a hierarchy of worth suggesting that some lives deserve autonomy while others don’t. It reinforces the very stigma and inequality we are trying to fight.”
As a member of the Safe Abortion Coalition, she is an advocate for full decriminalisation. “If we are serious about reducing unsafe abortions, which are a major contributor to maternal deaths, we need a comprehensive solution. This means full decriminalisation, expanded access to contraception and a healthcare system that treats abortion as an essential service.”
The common misconception is that abortion doesn’t happen in Sri Lanka. While there is no recent data, statistics from 2016 reveal that over 600 abortions took place every day. The only thing the law achieves is making these procedures unsafe.
Another pervasive myth is that abortions are sought by young, irresponsible women who use it as a form of contraception. Evidence from a study by the Family Planning Association (FPA) shows that the majority of women who seek abortions are often married, already mothers and cannot afford to raise another child. Their choice is one of economic necessity, a decision made to prevent their families from being trapped in a deeper cycle of poverty.
“When performed with proper medical supervision, abortion is much safer than childbirth. What makes it dangerous is the criminalisation and the resulting secrecy. When women are forced into the shadows, they risk physical health complications as well as deep shame, fear and isolation. This fear also creates a climate for blackmail and extortion, adding another layer of trauma. The criminalisation of abortion does not make the problem disappear; it simply makes it invisible and unsafe,” Sonali says.
In an age where young people often rely on unregulated online sources for health information, Sonali asserts that the need for open, honest conversation is critical. The online world, with its algorithms and platform moderation, can amplify misinformation and sensationalised content. “We are leaving our youth to navigate a digital space that can lead to misinformed decisions with lifelong consequences,” she pointed out.
International Safe Abortion Day is a critical opportunity to reclaim the narrative. Silence is a powerful tool of the opposition. “Stigma exists not just in our laws or institutions but also within ourselves, and that is what we must change. We can’t legislate safety into a room; we must embody it. This means being a non-judgmental friend, challenging harmful jokes and speaking up,” Sonali said.
The She Decides movement, founded in response to the US global gag rule, shows that moments of strong opposition can be met with equally strong solidarity. A dedicated day of truth telling and collective action can challenge the denial that makes the problem worse. When abortion is named as healthcare, there is a shift the conversation from shame to solidarity, allowing individuals to choose a future with dignity, freedom and opportunity.
To find out more and to join the Safe Abortion Coalition you can sign up here.
