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Eastern Europe and Central Asia

bosnia and herzegovina

Sarajevo Open Centre (SOC)

SOC (Sarajevo Open Centre) works to advance human rights in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H), with a focus on the rights of women and LGBTI people. Their own research has already exposed issues with abortion access – provision of services is patchy, and where abortion is available it is often overpriced, and performed without proper anaesthesia, counselling and support.

Noting the rise of right-wing, anti-abortion rhetoric, SOC will engage with civil society organisations in B&H, as well as other countries in the region, to mobilise a feminist activist movement in support of safe and accessible abortion services. They will conduct comprehensive research into the status of abortion services in B&H and use it to engage decision-makers, medical experts and politicians in a proactive, united campaign for progress on reproductive rights.

Visit SOC's website.

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GEORGIA

REAL PEOPLE REAL VISION (RPRV)

Real People-Real Vision is an organisation that works to provide support to HIV positive communities, strengthen their capacities and advocate for their rights.

Although abortion is not legally restricted in Georgia, abortion related stigma often acts as a barrier to accessing safe care, and marginalized women experience a double stigma when it comes to using reproductive health services. RPRV's SAAF-funded work aims to reduce abortion stigma in Georgia and promote access to safe abortion especially for vulnerable and marginalized women such as those living with HIV and or TB, drug users, sex workers and young people, through their meaningful involvement.

The project also aims to destigmatise abortion in public discourse, using strong, positive, rights based evidence in favour of choice through strengthening women’s community involvement, journalists as supporting allies and using a high profile online platform for youth linked to sexuality education.

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Due to lack of access to adequate contraceptive supplies exacerbated by recent cuts from international donors to the government, unwanted pregnancy is extremely high in Kyrgyzstan with abortion being the main method of family planning. To address this the Kyrgyz Family Planning Alliance is running its second project supported by SAAF to improve access to safe abortion care in the country.

Although abortion is available within the public health system, the methods used are mostly not recognised as modern safe methods according to the WHO and medical abortion is not widely available. Having managed to achieve the registration of the combination medical abortion drug Medabon during their previous SAAF-funded project, KFPA aims to increase access to this safe method by addressing supply and distribution barriers in order to ensure availability of quality medicines for safe abortions with affordable prices. This is with the overall goal of ensuring that women throughout the country are able to realize their rights to safe abortion and have access to quality reproductive health care.

Visit the Kyrgyz Family Planning Alliance (KFPA) website.
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RHTC has made significant progress in the past few years improving access to comprehensive abortion care in Moldova, however they have identified gaps in access in the post-conflict region Transnistria. Although abortion via telemedicine has been successfully introduced in mainland Moldova, those living in Transnistria were not able to access this service, due to a border between the two regions. 

RHTC will work with healthcare providers in Transnistria to improve understanding of high-quality abortion care, and will support the establishment of a telemedicine service for medical abortion. They will work closely with seven healthcare centres to ensure this service is sustainable, and in particular, accessible to those who are currently most underserved. 

Visit the Reproductive Health Training Center website.

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Despite permissive laws and a well-developed network of facilities, access to high quality contraception, abortion and reproductive health care is denied to many women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia with a consequence that a quarter of all maternal deaths in the region are due to unsafe abortion.

The Regional Training Center based in Moldova plans to improve on this by supporting countries in the region to improve access to high quality, safe abortion services. Following the launch of the WHO’s new abortion guidelines in 2022, RTC will focus on encouraging health ministries in the region to implement its recommendations, with a focus on support for self-managed abortion care. 

Visit the Regional Training Center website.

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TFPA applies innovative approaches in providing access to information, resources and services in the field of SRHR, including safe abortion for vulnerable segments of society in Tajikistan. It is driven by the needs of people and communities from remote regions of the country as well as by high standards of professionalism, the involvement of representatives of socially excluded groups, and the promotion of good practices and partnerships.

TFPA has re-opened its clinic in Dushanbe and uses a cross-subsidization scheme to provide safe quality reproductive health, family planning, and abortion care to vulnerable women and girls free of charge. They also advocate for an update to Tajikistan’s safe abortion protocol and sustainable funding for the implementation of a national reproductive health programme from the government.

Visit the Tajik Family Planning Alliance (TFPA) website.

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Working in partnership with Mor Çatı Women's Shelter Foundation, with technical support from Women on Web, WWHR will work towards improving access to abortion rights in Turkey. As one of the founders of the Coalition for Sexual and Bodily Rights in Muslim Societies, WWHR has been advocating for and actively working towards sexual and bodily rights at the national, regional and international level for decades.

Though the law allows for abortion on request up to 10 weeks of pregnancy, people seeking abortion care in Turkey still face many barriers. Abortion is stigmatised, and practical information about where to seek care is often censored. Medical abortion is not available within the healthcare system, and doctors have been known to discriminate against people seeking abortions, turning many women away who fit the legal criteria.

WWHR will work to improve the knowledge and capacity of healthcare providers, feminist groups, and those who may need to seek abortion care. They will also advocate for progressive changes to improve the implementation of the law and remove barriers to care.

Visit WWHR's website.

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