27 Sep THE UNSTOPPABLE MOVEMENT: PINSAN CELEBRATES INTERNATIONAL SAFE ABORTION DAY
The Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network is recognizing this year’s International Safe Abortion Day with a variety of activities led by an exhibit and art market running from 10AM to 4PM at the Commission on Human Rights’ Liwasang Diokno located at Quezon City. Also slated for the 28th of September is a solidarity march scheduled for 9AM and starting at the UP Diliman Center for Women and Gender Studies, also in Quezon City.
While the legality and morality of abortion remains a divisive topic, for the Philippine Safe Abortion Advocacy Network (PINSAN), the answer is clear: safe abortion is part of human rights, and is essential healthcare that helps save lives. PINSAN is among the several organizations spearheading the Philippines’ participation in the International Safe Abortion Day every 28th of September. Originating from Latin America and the Caribbean, the September 28th movement has been around for over two decades, and now has 85 active countries in the campaign.
As with many countries fighting for safe abortion, draconian legislation in the Philippines makes abortion unnecessarily arduous for everyone involved. The harsh punishments meted on both people seeking and providing abortion services force women and girls to undergo unsafe procedures, or to continue a possibly life-threatening pregnancy. “Our backward abortion laws disrespect the bodily autonomy of our women and girls.” says PINSAN spokesperson Atty. Clara Rita Padilla. “Abortion should be treated as a basic healthcare procedure, and not a crime. Whether or not abortion is legal in the Philippines, women and girls will need an abortion. Decriminalizing abortion would save the lives of women and girls, and also allow healthcare professionals to uphold their duty to provide necessary care to their patients.” Padilla asserted.
In a study entitled The Spectre of Unsafe Abortions In the Philippines[a] published in 2022 on the Lancet Regional Health: Western Pacific, researchers found that 1.1 million abortions are induced in the Philippines yearly, 1000 of[b] which lead to deaths caused by post-abortion complications.
“It’s all the more important for the Philippines to participate in global movements campaigning for safe abortion. The louder our collective voices can be, the greater our ability to affect change.” opined Maya Vincencio, MEAL Officer of the FPOP, on the importance of solidarity. “If the Philippine government truly understood how the decriminalization of abortion benefits our women and girls, our laws would reflect that. But as it stands, abortion remains restricted. And this is precisely why we must continue to collectively demand that the government take action, and address the people’s struggles, as all governments should.” Vincencio added.
Participation in the International Safe Abortion Day can come in several ways, and goes beyond the September 28th annual celebration of International Safe Abortion Day, PINSAN and its allies reiterate. As WomanHealth PH National Coordinator Ana Maria Nemenzo puts it, “Every little thing counts. Your contribution can come by way of educating people around you in conversation, or online by sharing relevant articles. That might be just one person you convince to join the fight, but it’s one more person nonetheless. You can also sign petitions. Or quite simply, you can keep learning about the matter. Knowing about the struggles of our women and girls and making sure they remain visible and heard is already a big step.”
PINSAN is inviting everyone to partake in the September 28th activities, and is requesting media coverage for said lineup of events.
PINSAN also encourages interested parties to learn more about the International Safe Abortion Day by visiting its official website, www.september28.com. Those interested to take part in various activities organized by PINSAN can contact their social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter (X), as well as visit their website www.pinsan.ph.
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The Philippine Safe Advocacy Network, or PINSAN, was founded in 2015. PINSAN is a network of organizations advocating for women’s rights, human rights, as well as reproductive health rights. Through various activities involving communities from all around the country, PINSAN is committed to combating systemic disenfranchisement and empowering all women and girls.