New Research Brings Visibility to Abortion Access Barriers for South Asia’s Queer Community – Center for Reproductive Rights

 

Report on Barriers to Abortion Access for LBT Individuals in South Asia and Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals

Executive Summary

A new briefing paper, “Intersecting Realities,” published by the Center for Reproductive Rights’ Asia Program and the South Asia Reproductive Justice and Accountability Initiative (SARJAI), investigates the significant legal and social barriers to abortion access faced by lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LBT) individuals in South Asia. The research addresses a critical gap in existing literature, which has predominantly focused on cisgender, heterosexual women. By highlighting the unique challenges encountered by the LBT community, the report provides a roadmap for reform, directly contributing to the advancement of several key Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Key Findings and Research Gaps

The report’s findings are derived from in-depth interviews with sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organizations working directly with queer communities in the region. Key conclusions include:

• Heightened Barriers: LBT individuals experience unique and compounded obstacles when seeking abortion services, which are often unaddressed by existing healthcare frameworks.
• Research Erasure: A significant gap in academic and policy research has led to the erasure of the experiences of queer women, transgender men, and transmasculine individuals who require abortion access.
• Systemic Discrimination: The paper unpacks various forms of discrimination within healthcare systems that disproportionately impact the LBT community.
• Intersectional Impact: The research underscores how intersecting identities of gender and sexuality influence an individual’s ability to access fundamental healthcare, a reality that policy must address to achieve equitable outcomes.

Alignment with Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

The report’s focus on inclusive abortion access is intrinsically linked to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Its recommendations provide a framework for nations to meet their commitments across multiple goals.

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

The report directly supports Target 3.7, which calls for universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services. By identifying and seeking to dismantle barriers for the LBT community, the research advocates for a truly universal approach that leaves no one behind, ensuring all individuals can achieve the highest standard of health and well-being.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

Achieving gender equality requires addressing the needs of all gender identities. The report contributes to:

1. Target 5.1: Ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere, by extending the focus to include LBT individuals who face intersecting layers of discrimination.
2. Target 5.6: Ensuring universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights. The paper argues that without inclusive access for LBT people, this target cannot be fully realized.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

The research is a critical tool for advancing SDG 10, particularly Targets 10.2 and 10.3, which focus on promoting social inclusion and ensuring equal opportunity by eliminating discriminatory laws and policies. The report’s central thesis is that abortion restrictions disproportionately impact marginalized communities, and its recommendations are designed to reduce these specific inequalities.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

By providing a detailed legal analysis and a roadmap for reform, the paper supports Target 16.b: to promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development. It serves as an advocacy tool to help policymakers, advocates, and service providers build more just, inclusive, and accountable institutions that protect the rights of all citizens.

Geographical Scope and Legal Context

The report provides a comprehensive legal and social analysis of the situation in the following South Asian countries:

• Bangladesh
• India
• Maldives
• Nepal
• Pakistan
• Sri Lanka

Recommendations and Advocacy

“Intersecting Realities” is positioned as a vital advocacy tool intended to drive policy and practical change. It concludes with a set of targeted recommendations for policymakers, advocates, and healthcare providers to remove intersectional barriers to abortion access. The report functions as a roadmap for progressive reform, essential for fulfilling national and international commitments to health, equality, and justice as outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals.

SDGs Addressed in the Article

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

• The article’s central theme is access to abortion, a key component of sexual and reproductive health care. It highlights the “heightened barriers to abortion access” for lesbian, bisexual, and transgender (LBT) people, directly relating to ensuring healthy lives and well-being for all.

SDG 5: Gender Equality

• The article focuses on the rights and health access of a specific group defined by gender identity and sexual orientation (LBT people). It discusses “intersectional gender and sexuality identities” and “discrimination within the healthcare system,” which are core issues in the fight for gender equality and the empowerment of all, including marginalized gender identities.

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

• The text explicitly addresses how “abortion restrictions disproportionately impact the LBT community.” It aims to bridge a gap in research and advocacy, focusing on a marginalized group that faces “intersectional barriers” and “erasure.” This directly aligns with the goal of reducing inequalities within and among countries.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

• The article examines the “legal context on abortion and queer rights” in several South Asian countries and provides a “roadmap for reform” targeting “policymakers.” This points to the need for reforming laws and policies to be more inclusive and just, which is a fundamental aspect of building effective and accountable institutions.

Specific SDG Targets Identified

SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

1. Target 3.7: “By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes.”
   • The article’s entire focus is on ensuring “full abortion access” for the LBT community, which is a critical aspect of sexual and reproductive health-care services. The research paper it describes is an “advocacy tool to promote and fight for progressive SRHR rights.”

SDG 5: Gender Equality

1. Target 5.6: “Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights…”
   • This target is directly addressed by the article’s call to remove barriers to abortion for LBT people, thereby ensuring their reproductive rights are recognized and upheld. The article highlights the need to understand how “intersectional gender and sexuality identities influence access to abortion.”

SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

1. Target 10.2: “By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status.”
   • The article advocates for the inclusion of LBT people, a group often marginalized due to their “other status” (sexual orientation and gender identity), by demanding their specific needs be addressed in healthcare systems and research.
2. Target 10.3: “Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices…”
   • The article identifies “legal and social barriers” and “different forms of discrimination within the healthcare system” as key problems. The paper’s recommendations for policymakers are aimed at eliminating these discriminatory practices to ensure equal access to abortion.

SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions

1. Target 16.b: “Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.”
   • The briefing paper is described as providing a “roadmap for reform” and targeting “policymakers” to “remove intersectional barriers.” This directly supports the promotion and enforcement of non-discriminatory laws and policies related to healthcare access.

Implied Indicators for Measuring Progress

For Targets 3.7 and 5.6

• Existence of inclusive sexual and reproductive health-care services: The article implies a need to measure whether LBT people have “full abortion access.” An indicator would be the number and proportion of healthcare facilities providing safe and non-discriminatory abortion services for all, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity.
• Availability of inclusive SRHR information: The article notes the “erasure of queer women, transgender men and transmasculine people” in research. Progress could be measured by the availability of SRHR information and education materials that are explicitly inclusive of LBT individuals.

For Targets 10.2, 10.3, and 16.b

• Legal and policy reform: The article calls for a “roadmap for reform.” A key indicator would be the number of countries in South Asia (Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) that have reviewed and amended their laws and healthcare policies to explicitly remove barriers and prohibit discrimination against LBT people seeking abortion services.
• Reported incidence of discrimination: The article highlights “discrimination within the healthcare system.” Progress could be tracked by measuring the reported incidence of discrimination faced by LBT individuals when trying to access sexual and reproductive health services.
• Inclusion in research and data collection: The article notes that research has “so far mostly focused on cisgender and heterosexual women.” An indicator of progress would be the inclusion of data on sexual orientation and gender identity in national health surveys and research on abortion access.

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

SDGs	Targets	Indicators
SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being	3.7: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services.	Proportion of healthcare facilities providing safe and non-discriminatory abortion services for LBT people.
SDG 5: Gender Equality	5.6: Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights.	Availability of SRHR information and education materials that are inclusive of LBT individuals.
SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities	10.3: Ensure equal opportunity and reduce inequalities of outcome, including by eliminating discriminatory laws, policies and practices.	Number of countries that have reformed laws to eliminate discrimination in healthcare access for LBT people; Reported incidence of discrimination in healthcare settings.
SDG 16: Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions	16.b: Promote and enforce non-discriminatory laws and policies for sustainable development.	Adoption and implementation of non-discriminatory policies and legal frameworks ensuring SRHR for the LBT community.

Source: reproductiverights.org