Today, we celebrate World Safe Patient Day and this year's theme, "Safe maternal and newborn care."

The Center for Reproductive Rights works to improve access to respectful, quality, non-discriminatory reproductive and maternal health care throughout the world through advocacy, litigation, and human rights research and fact-finding.

Keep reading to learn more about recent developments in this work.

United States

U.S. Supreme Court Ruling Ends Almost All Abortion Care in Texas

On September 1, the U.S. Supreme Court denied our emergency request to block Texas's radical new abortion ban, which took effect earlier that day. Then, last week, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a new lawsuit against the state of Texas over this ban.

The law, S.B. 8, bans abortion care after approximately six weeks of pregnancy—before many people know they're pregnant. As with other abortion restrictions, S.B. 8 will disproportionately harm people who already face discriminatory obstacles to accessing health care, including people of color, those living on low incomes, and those in rural areas.

We will keep fighting this ban alongside our client and partner, Whole Woman's Health, until abortion access is restored in Texas.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Chile Agrees to End Forced Sterilization Practices

In 2002, Francisca gave birth to a healthy baby in a Chilean hospital—and was then sterilized without her consent by the doctor who performed her Cesarean section. The doctors decided to perform the surgical sterilization because they thought it was irresponsible for an HIV-positive woman to have more children.

After more than a decade of litigation, the government of Chile announced it has entered into a "friendly settlement" with our client, Francisca, to provide her with reparations and to reform its policies to protect against forced sterilization and discrimination for people living with HIV.

Asia

Nepal Agrees to Decriminalize Abortion and Protect SRHR

In 2018, Nepal enacted the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Rights Act, which was intended to respect, protect, and fulfill women's reproductive rights and recognize the right to access abortion. But since the Act failed to fully decriminalize abortion, women faced a continued risk of prosecution for abortion care.

After years of advocacy by the Center for Reproductive Rights and our Nepal-based partners, the government of Nepal has agreed to decriminalize abortion and protect the sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) of women and girls across the country.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Causa Justa: The Fight to Decriminalize Abortion in Colombia

The Center for Reproductive Rights and our Colombia-based partners are awaiting a decision by the Constitutional Court of Colombia that could decriminalize abortion throughout the country.

The decriminalization of abortion would remove the obstacles and stigmas that prevent women and girls from accessing the reproductive health care they need.