Abortion Remains an Unresolved Issue: ICPD25 Meeting next Month

Osamu Kusumoto is Secretary General and Executive Director of Asian Population and Development Association (APDA)By Osamu KusumotoTOKYO, Japan, Oct 9 2019 (IPS) Currently, the topic of abortion as human rights leaves the world bustling. When the state of Alabama1 in the United States enacted a very strict ban on abortion, it shocked the world. This prompted so-called conservative movements, led by female business owners, to make a full-scale advertisement in the New York Times claiming abortion is a human right2 ; hence the global debate between pro-life and pro-choice. Osamu KusumotoThis discussion is a remnant of the debate at the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in 1994. Twenty Five years into the ICPD and the struggle between opposing views persists, causing the continued disruption in the　accessibility of women to reproductive health. This is especially true in developing countries. The purpose of this paper is to show that pro-life and pro-choice are actually following the same logical development despite failing to arrive at the same conclusion. Current Status of ICPD and Reproductive Rights As its name suggests, ICPD is a conference that places population issues in the context of sustainable development, which served as the basis of the current Agenda 2030. However, the population problem has been treated as a value and not a scientific issue. Following this paradigm, possible solutions are unattainable. Efforts are being made to includ...
Source: IPS Inter Press Service - Health - Category: International Medicine & Public Health Authors: Tags: Education Global Headlines Health Human Rights Population Poverty & SDGs TerraViva United Nations Women's Health Source Type: news