Umbilical Discord

Why simply legalising abortion is not enough

- Jagriti Gangopadhyay

RECENTLY, IRELAND voted to legalise abortion after decades of debate and struggle. The law received international attention in the wake of the demise of Savita Halappanavar, an Indian dentist practising in Ireland, who was denied abortion while experiencing a septic miscarriage. Ireland’s victory is being celebrated all across the world, however, the question remains: is it enough to legalise abortion?

Though abortion has been legal in India for the last 47 years, about 10 women die every day due to unsafe abortions. Unsafe abortion is the third leading cause for maternal deaths in India. The law that governs abortion in the country is the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1971. This act allows women to undergo an abortion only if there is a health risk to the child or the mother. But in 2017, the Supreme Court, in its landmark judgement, permitted married women to have an abortion depending on their own choice. However, this judgement did not include unmarried women. Hence, unmarried women often have to rely on quacks and informal means to have an abortion and risk their lives.