Abortion in India: Ground Realities

Despite the legalisation of abortion in India in 1971 and new laws/regulations introduced in 2002 and 2021, and notwithstanding the positive impact of Medical Abortion, the sad reality is that morbidity and mortality continue to remain worrisome for many women undergoing abortions. In the early 2000s, a lack of reliable information, wide regional and rural–urban differences and a thin research base made it difficult for policymakers, administrators and women’s health advocates to develop strategic interventions.

The earlier edition of this book used the in-depth qualitative research studies done in the early 2000s to highlight issues that emerged. These studies were part of the Abortion Assessment Project – India (AAP-I) jointly anchored by the Centre for Enquiry into Health and Allied Themes (CEHAT) and HealthWatch. The studies included sought to build a body of knowledge on all facets of induced abortion, such as the unmet needs for contraception and abortion, the son preference, the preference for private providers and the neglected needs of the single, widowed or separated women, to list policy-level and on-ground implementation issues. More crucially, they highlight the need to integrate diverse viewpoints that would further ease progression towards the common goal of making abortion an infrequently used but safe alternative for women faced with an unwanted pregnancy.

The second edition revisits the studies in light of demographic shifts, changing social attitudes, technological advances and expanded access to medical abortion, reflecting evolving reproductive rights in India. The book will be of interest to health activists and researchers, policymakers and programme implementers, and those studying gender issues.

Leela Visaria, PhD in sociology from Princeton University, is an honorary professor and a former director at Gujarat Institute of Development Research, Ahmedabad. Her research has been in historical demography, health, family planning, education and demographic transition. She has authored several peer-reviewed articles and co-authored or edited seven books. Between 1994 and 1999, she served as a coordinator of HealthWatch. She was awarded National Professorship by the Indian Council of Social Science Research, New Delhi in 2008–2009. She was elected as the first President of Asian Population Association during 2009–2010.

Shveta Kalyanwala is a qualitative researcher working in an interdisciplinary manner on health, education, social justice and rights. She has undertaken research on a range of issues, including maternal health (sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), abortion and post abortion care, family planning, HIV/AIDS), adolescents (life-skills building, SRHR, comprehensive sexuality education, access to secondary education), health system strengthening and social justice. She has published articles in peer-reviewed journals. She was a team member of HealthWatch Trust and of a national-level study on Abortion Incidence in India conducted by the Guttmacher Institute, International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS) and Population Council.

Vimala Ramachandran has been working on school education and the intersection between health and education. She co-conceptualised Mahila Samakhya (Education for Women’s Equality) and was the first National Project Director from 1988 to 1993 in the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD), Government of India. She was the Managing Trustee of HealthWatch from 1994 to 2004 and Co-coordinator of AAP-I. She established ERU Consultants Private Limited in 1998, and from 2011 to 2015, she was a national fellow and professor of teacher management and development at the National University of Education, Planning and Administration (NUEPA).