In Armenia, and across the world, the struggle for abortion rights is deeply intertwined with nationalism, militarization, and state control over women’s bodies. Far from being solely a matter of healthcare access, abortion has become a political tool used by those in power to regulate women’s reproductive choices. In Armenia, abortion restrictions reveal how women’s bodies are increasingly treated as a symbolic battlefield where demographic fears, patriarchal values, and post-war anxieties converge.
Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Armenian state discourse and nationalist narratives have consistently linked women’s reproductive roles to the idea of “national survival.” This framing has intensified in recent years, particularly following the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war and subsequent security crises. Public rhetoric centered on the loss of soldiers, declining birth rates, and the need to “revitalize the nation” increasingly casts motherhood as a patriotic duty rather than a personal choice.
Within this militarized logic, abortion is often portrayed as a moral failure or even a betrayal of the nation’s future.
Women’s individual reproductive decisions are reframed as matters of national security, where personal autonomy is subordinated to collective survival. Women are transformed into symbolic “mothers of the nation,” expected to respond to demographic anxieties rather than recognized as self-determined citizens with rights.
These narratives are politically strategic. By framing reproductive control as a demographic necessity, patriarchal and nationalist forces depoliticize gender equality and deflect attention from structural social, economic, and security failures. War trauma is instrumentalized, and women’s bodies become sites of political control rather than autonomy.
Abortion is legal in Armenia up to 11 weeks and six days of pregnancy.
Beyond this period, access is strictly limited to specific medical or social grounds. While this legal framework formally recognizes abortion as a right, in practice access remains constrained by multiple restrictions.
Women seeking abortion are subject to a mandatory three-day waiting period, during which they must undergo compulsory counseling. This counseling often pushes false information about alleged negative physical and psychological consequences of abortion rather than providing neutral, evidence-based information. These measures are designed not to support informed decision-making but to discourage women from exercising their legal right.
At the same time, recent progress demonstrates that change is possible through sustained feminist advocacy. In 2024, as a result of constant advocacy efforts by our organisation, Women’s Resource Center, Armenia introduced self-managed medical abortion up to eight weeks of pregnancy through community health facilities/policlinics. Previously, medical abortion was allowed only in hospital settings. This shift has significantly improved access, especially for women living outside major cities, and represents an important step toward aligning national practice with international health standards.
Women in Armenia continue to face serious structural and social barriers to abortion.
Despite legal access and recent improvements, stigma surrounding abortion remains widespread, reinforced by nationalist and moral narratives about womanhood and motherhood. Many women fear judgment from healthcare providers, family members, or their communities and therefore delay or avoid seeking care.
Refusal of care by healthcare providers is another major obstacle. Women are frequently refused services without being referred to alternative providers, leaving them to navigate the system on their own. This is particularly harmful in rural areas, where healthcare options are limited.
Cost further restricts access. Abortion services are largely paid out-of-pocket, making them inaccessible for many women, especially those in precarious economic situations. In addition, access to trustworthy and accurate information remains inconsistent. Women often rely on informal networks or online sources, increasing the risk of misinformation and unsafe practices.
To better understand these realities, we recently conducted an online survey on access to abortion and related barriers. Many anonymous testimonies highlighted recurring challenges throughout the abortion process, including blaming and judgment by healthcare providers, lack of clear information, refusals of care, and the high cost of services. These lived experiences confirm that legal access on paper does not automatically translate into safe, dignified, and affordable care.
Abortion rights are fundamental.
Abortion is a right many women feel pressured to stay silent about. The state actively attempts to dissuade women from making what it frames as a “wrong decision,” while society reinforces the idea that abortion is “not appropriate for an Armenian woman.” Yet abortion remains a vital and necessary medical service for many.
At the Women’s Resource Center, we firmly believe that abortion must be protected as a fundamental women’s right. Access to abortion is healthcare, not a privilege, and not an expression of the state’s goodwill.
We cannot meaningfully fight for women’s rights, whether equal pay, political participation, or protection from sexual harassment in the workplace, while women’s reproductive autonomy is restricted. Control over one’s body is the foundation of equality. Without respect for abortion rights, all other struggles for gender justice remain incomplete.
Protecting abortion access in Armenia means resisting the instrumentalization of women’s bodies, challenging militarized and patriarchal narratives, and affirming women’s right to make decisions about their own lives, free from coercion, stigma, and state control.
By Anna Hovhannisyan, Head of Advocacy at the Women’s Resource Center – a SAAF grantee partner in Armenia.