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ENGENDER report: Modernising Scotland’s Abortion Law

  • Area of Work: Policy and Research
  • Type: News Item
  • Published: 22nd May 2024
Three cartoon women, one in a wheelchair, gathered around report graphics on the wall discussing the findings.

ALLIANCE member, ENGENDER, have launched a new report on the need to modernise Scotland's abortion law.

ALLIANCE member, ENGENDER, have launched their new report ‘Outdated, harmful and never in the public interest – The urgent need to modernise Scotland’s abortion law and prevent prosecutions.’ 

Abortion law is out of step with the experiences of women in modern Scotland for whom abortion is routine healthcare, accessed by around one in three in their lifetimes.  Laws in Scotland, England and Wales now trail behind more progressive regulatory frameworks in most other European countries. Britain, including Scotland, has also failed to keep pace with international human rights standards.

The report examines the shortcomings of the current legal framework in Scotland in detail, including evidence that women have been charged and prosecuted for abortion related offences in recent years. 

It also provides recommendations for Scottish Government and other key decisionmakers on what the next steps towards a modernised regulatory framework should be. These actions will be vital to support ongoing improvement in reproductive healthcare services and the safeguarding of reproductive rights for future generations of Scotland’s women and pregnant people.   

The report also set out how:

  • Women have been charged and prosecuted for crimes related to abortion in Scotland in the 21st century. 
  • Abortion is vital, routine healthcare and is one of the safest and most frequently accessed medical procedures used by women and pregnant people across the world. 
  • Decriminalisation of abortion is recommended by the World Health Organisation, major international human rights mechanisms, and all relevant professional medical bodies in the UK. 
  • Decriminalisation is needed for realisation of a wide range of women’s human rights and for government compliance with international human rights law. 
  • Safe and legal abortion is a cornerstone of progress towards women’s equality. 
  • Decriminalisation is in line with high-level commitments from Scottish Government on gender equality and would help future-proof against regression on women’s rights. 
  • Decriminalisation would remove unnecessary “chilling” pressures on healthcare professionals, who are exposed to potential criminal sanctions at work. 

You can can read the full report by clicking the link below. Or by visiting the ENGENDER website.

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