The ASAP Blog

“When was the first time you learned about menstruation?” By Asika Ghemosu

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Wed, 13 May 2026 09:05:38 +0000

Was it through a safe conversation? A school lesson? A friend? Or was it through fear, confusion, embarrassment, or restrictions? This is a question I often ask during community sessions, and the answers are rarely simple. As an SRHR advocate in Nepal, I have met girls who thought periods were something to be hidden at…

Queering Safe Abortions!

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Tue, 28 Oct 2025 08:09:39 +0000

Our recent webinar on Our Bodies Our Rights: Queer Perspectives on Safe Abortion was not just a powerful discussion, it became a space for honesty, solidarity, and rethinking what safety really means. People spoke openly about what safe abortion truly looks like when we include queer, trans, and intersex realities. The speakers and participants started…

Holding space in hostile times?

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Tue, 01 Jul 2025 14:28:20 +0000

Maybe it’s time to flood the spaces now! By Ayesha Bashir At the Academy Convening held in February this year, we came together in a space shaped by years of shared trust, care, and collective resistance. This wasn’t just another gathering; it was an act of defiance in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile…

Breaking the glass slipper: How patriarchy shaped female characters in Disney. By Geilee Skandakuma.

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Wed, 24 Jul 2024 07:59:14 +0000

Breaking the glass slipper means more than just reimagining fairy tales; it means deconstructing the patriarchal narratives that have shaped our understanding of gender roles for decades.

Eye Opening Revelation of Patriarchy in Medicine at ARJC 2024!

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Wed, 17 Apr 2024 11:54:21 +0000

The most fascinating perspective for me professionally as a medical student is the realization of how much the entire medical field has been ruled by an upper hand of patriarchy!

What does climate change have to do with a global abortion rights conference? By By Jessica Work, Fiji (IPPF ESEOAR SROP YOUTH NETWORKER)

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Wed, 03 Apr 2024 13:33:52 +0000

It was a a place where I found academicians and activists for abortion across the globe, engaging discussions on the complexities of abortion advocacy to exploring the intersectionality of reproductive justice.

What Happens When We All Come Under One Roof?

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Tue, 12 Mar 2024 07:49:39 +0000

“The connections between and among women are the most feared, the most problematic, and the most potentially transforming force on the planet.” Says Adrienne Rich and I agree with her. To answer how it was being part of a global level Reproductive justice conference? I’d say, it was like entering a room full of people…

Unsafe Abortions: A Preventable Tragedy and Threat to Women’s Rights

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 05:38:36 +0000

Unsafe abortion remains one of the top five causes of maternal mortality, despite being the most preventable cause when compared to other medical complications like postpartum hemorrhage. The videos I recently watched stirred a range of emotions within me, but the most urgent emotion I’d like to discuss is anger. It is infuriating to realize…

Debunking Abortion Myths About Mothers For Mother’s Day

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Mon, 15 May 2023 09:17:00 +0000

There are several myths about abortions, and some of them involve mothers. You must be a bad mother if you have had an abortion. Mothers do not need abortions; they are meant for another kind of woman. If you have had an abortion you will never become a mother again. Are they true? No!

The Invisible Violence- By Priskila Arulpragasam

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Fri, 21 Apr 2023 08:51:47 +0000

I always thought that violence and abuse was straight forward and is easily identifiable. We think we will know when violence and abuse happens within any kind of relationships. This is true most often for physical violence where the act of violence or abuse cause physical pain or effects.

But in cases of emotional, mental or economic abuse it is not straightforward or overtly visible at all times.

The Female Migrant Worker: What Are Her Reproductive Rights

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Fri, 17 Mar 2023 04:30:00 +0000

When such abuse results in unwanted pregnancies, these women face several barriers in accessing safe terminations. One barrier could be the very law: the country of immigration might not allow abortions unless rape can be proved. Women migrating to the Middle East often face such dilemmas. In other countries like the U.S., abortions can be expensive unless insured accordingly. Illegal immigrants face another additional dilemma. Reporting a rape, seeking delivery or abortion services could easily get them deported. Some immigrants who have braved reporting have later complained of being abused in detention.

Abortion Narratives: Stories and Testimonials

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Wed, 15 Mar 2023 09:31:40 +0000

“When I was working in an NGO earlier, they were using surgical instruments and no painkillers and women used to cry with pain, so I was very afraid of Abortion. But after joining this Hotline my perceptions changed, now I am not afraid of Safe Abortion, and I believe that we can reach many women through this Hotline, but we have to market this Hotline at the level of rural areas.This Hotline is very beneficial for women, because if they have an abortion in Clinic, it costs them at least 100 Dollars. But with the help of our Hotline, it costs them less than 2 Dollars.

Young China Needs More Information About Pregnancy and Abortion

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 08:30:54 +0000

Coming back to the forum, I introduced myself as core member of China Youth Network and youth champion of ASAP. I said that it was ASAP that gave me the chance to learn about the abortion issues of China in a worldwide frame. Compared with other countries, where abortion is illegal or highly restricted, China did legalize abortion long time ago and there do have a lot of service providers all over the country. Though it sounds great, we are still facing lots of serious challenges, which we discussed about during the forum.

Choice and Reproductive Justice

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Mon, 06 Mar 2023 08:18:36 +0000

In South and South East Asia, the need for such reproductive “justice” is imperative. According to the World Bank, South Asia is home to half of the world’s poor, and in some countries like Bangladesh, 50% of the population lives below poverty lines (income less than 1.25 USD/day). Women in these regions are either unaware of contraception, use these devices irregularly, or are bound by religion to shun them entirely. While large families become an economic strain, multiple pregnancies affect a woman’s overall health, and not uncommonly lead to death.

Lilith and Eve

Asia Safe Abortion Partnership — Wed, 22 Feb 2023 07:01:48 +0000

As we mapped misogyny in time we discovered something really interesting. Not all Judaic tales agree that Eve was the first woman, or even Adam’s first wife. Some folk tales from old Mesopotamia say that before Eve, there was Lilith. When we discovered why she might have been left out of what has become the…