Global Abortion Policies Database: a new approach to strengthening knowledge on laws, policies, and human rights standards

Brooke Ronald Johnson,Antonella Francheska Lavelanet,Stephanie Schlitt

doi:10.1186/s12914-018-0174-2

Brooke Ronald Johnson, Antonella Francheska Lavelanet + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12914-018-0174-2

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Abstract

BackgroundThe Global Abortion Policies Database (GAPD), launched in June 2017, provides a verifiable, comprehensive, nuanced approach to information and data sources on abortion law and policy. Abortion laws, policies, and guidelines from United Nations (UN) and World Health Organization (WHO) Member States are juxtaposed to information and recommendations from WHO safe abortion guidance, national sexual and reproductive health indicators, and relevant UN human rights bodies’ concluding observations to countries.Main bodyThe Global Abortion Policies Database aims to increase transparency of information and accountability of states for the protection of individuals’ health and human rights. The database presents current information on abortion laws and policies that goes beyond categories of lawful abortion to include information on additional access requirements, service provision, conscientious objection, and penalties. Wide-ranging variations among countries’ legal requirements and criminal penalties raise questions about the evidentiary and human rights basis for abortion laws and policies. Source documents found in the database highlight that in many jurisdictions legal and policy guidance is either non-existent, not clear, or conflicting. By juxtaposing a jurisdiction’s abortion laws and policies to relevant WHO guidance and by facilitating comparisons of countries’ sexual and reproductive health indicators, the database can enable deep policy analysis of states’ obligations to meet the health needs and human rights of individuals in the context of abortion. Policy analysis in the context of authoritative guidance on human rights standards can enable health and rights advocates to hold governments accountable for respecting, protecting, and fulfilling individuals’ human rights.ConclusionThe GAPD is a comprehensive tool that can be used to strengthen knowledge, inform law and policy research to generate evidence on the impact of laws and policies in practice, and facilitate greater awareness of the many challenges to creating enabling policy environments for safe abortion.

Highlights

The Global Abortion Policies Database (GAPD), launched in June 2017, provides a verifiable, comprehensive, nuanced approach to information and data sources on abortion law and policy
The Global Abortion Policies Database (GAPD), launched in June 2017, is a policy tool designed to increase the transparency of global abortion laws and policies and state accountability for the protection of women’s and girls’ health and human rights [1, 2]
To facilitate new insights on issues related to access and quality of care, all country laws and policies are juxtaposed to information from World Health Organization (WHO) guidance on safe abortion

Summary

Conclusion

Abortion laws and policies can be punitive or protective, specific or non-specific, and limiting or facilitating for access and service provision. They are often found in a wide range of source documents, many of which are not readily accessible to the health-care professionals who must apply them, much less to the individuals who want to access services. Abortion laws and policies can be arbitrary, vague, confusing, and even contradictory, potentially exacerbating a chilling effect on those who seek, provide or advocate for access to services. Laws can vary widely by jurisdiction, creating conditions for dramatic inequalities in access to safe, legal care.

Background