The Center for Reproductive Rights and its partners continue to work across five continents to advance reproductive rights and hold governments accountable for their obligations. We're launching new tools and reports, hosting events and discussions with experts and advocates in the field, and filing groundbreaking cases around the world to advance our shared mission. None of this would be possible without your support. Below are just a few highlights from 2023—keep reading to learn more.

Africa

Kenyan Court Exonerates Health Care Provider and Mother of Adolescent Girl from Abortion Charges

In a Center case, a health care provider and a mother were being treated as criminals for protecting the rights of an adolescent girl who, without access to abortion care, faced health complications—a grave violation of her human rights and bodily autonomy. After a five-year court battle, both were cleared of charges of procuring an abortion by a court in Kenya. Although Kenya's 2010 Constitution established the right to health care including access to reproductive health care, abortion care has remained almost unobtainable in most of the country, especially in rural areas. This dismissal sent a clear message affirming abortion as a health care right.

Europe

Report Addresses Barriers to Reproductive Care Faced by Refugees from Ukraine

The Center and eight partner organizations documented the gaps and barriers in access to sexual and reproductive health care and gender-based violence support services that are faced by refugees from Ukraine in Hungary, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia in an in-depth, multi-country fact-finding report. The report highlights legal restrictions, burdensome costs, information shortfalls and other barriers to reproductive health care. Because of these barriers, some refugees are facing a harrowing choice between returning to Ukraine to access essential reproductive health care, accessing care outside legal pathways in their host countries, or going without much-needed care.

United States

Photo credit: Center for Reproductive Rights

Center Releases 2023 U.S. State Legislative Wrap-up Report

A new report released by the Center finds that U.S. state legislation reflects the polarized nation, with some states acting to strongly protect reproductive rights and access, and others finding new ways to criminalize abortion care. The State Legislative Wrap-up report, which analyzes the 2,000+ pieces of reproductive rights legislation we tracked in states across the country last year, highlights 2023 legislative trends impacting people’s access to abortion care, assisted reproduction services, and maternal health care. Pictured above is Center staff at the State Leadership Summit in September, organized and hosted by the Center, where over 150 legislators and advocates convened to strategize on ways to advance proactive reproductive rights legislation in the states.

"This case was about defending the rights of all Kenyan women, girls, and qualified health care providers to access and provide safe abortion within the protections provided by the Kenyan Constitution. No mother or health care provider should be treated as a criminal for protecting the rights of an adolescent."

—Martin Onyango, Associate Director of Africa Legal Strategies at the Center for Reproductive Rights