News
Human Rights Watch calls on Lankan government to reform draconian Abortion Law
Sri Lanka has among the most restrictive abortion laws in the world, so Justice Minister Ali Sabry’s recent call for parliament to consider legalizing abortion in cases of rape is a significant development, the Human Rights Watch (HRW) said.
“The government should move promptly to reform the law and go further to uphold women’s equal rights by allowing all woman access to abortion,” the global rights organization said in a statement.
Under a Sri Lankan law that dates from 1883, anyone deliberately causing a miscarriage, except for the purpose of saving a woman’s life, can be imprisoned for up to three years. The sentence can increase to seven years if the woman is “quick with child,” an archaic phrase meaning that the movement of the fetus can be felt. The same penalties apply to a person who performs an abortion and to a woman who causes herself to miscarry.
In December, a 13-year-old girl from Mullaitivu died as a result of an illegal abortion after allegedly being raped by a family member. Research conducted in 2015 found that unsafe abortions are responsible for 10 to 13 percent of maternal deaths in Sri Lanka, making it the third most common cause of death during pregnancy. But because the procedure is illegal there is little data. One study that is still frequently cited dates back to 1999, showing an abortion rate of almost 1 in 20 among women and girls ages 15 to 49. In 2016, the Health Ministry estimated that 658 abortions are carried out every day in Sri Lanka.
Denying women and girls access to safe, legal abortions jeopardizes numerous human rights, including the rights to life, health, freedom from cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment, physical integrity, nondiscrimination, privacy and equality, and the right to decide the number and spacing of children, the HRW said.
For decades there have been calls for reform, including proposals by the Law Commission of Sri Lanka in 2013 to legalize abortion in cases of rape. However, successive governments have failed to bring new legislation.
“The government needs to act. The justice minister should introduce a bill to decriminalize abortion not only for rape survivors, but for everyone,” the HRW stressed.
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya met with the Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Dr. Kristalina Georgieva, at Temple Tress on the 17th of February
Dr. Georgieva, commended the Government’s efforts in stabilizing the country’s economy and in managing recent economic and natural shocks. She noted that Cyclone Ditwah had caused severe impacts, especially on economically vulnerable communities, underscoring the importance of targeted support and resilience-building measures.
The Prime Minister expressed appreciation for the IMF’s continued support to Sri Lanka, particularly in the aftermath of Cyclone Ditwah. The PM further emphasized that real economic recovery and development must directly benefit the economically vulnerable groups and ensure inclusive growth, highlighting the need for Sri Lanka to attract quality and sustainable investments, particularly in the tourism sector.
The importance of reforming the education system to focus not only on knowledge acquisition but also on skills development and employability was also discussed
The meeting was attended by the Chief of Staff of the IMF Managing Director Andreas Bauer, Director, Asia and Pacific Department, Dr. Krishna Srinivasan Division Chief (Strategic Communications), Communications Department, Pierre Mejlak Resident Representative for Sri Lanka Dr. Martha Woldemichael, Governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Dr. P. Nandalal Weerasinghe, and Deputy Governor Dr. C. Amarasekara, Secretary to the Prime Minister Pradeep Saputhanthri and Additional Secretary to the Prime Minister Ms. Sagarika Bogahawatta.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
News
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