Daily Times

Reproductive freedom for women is an incredibly tough subject matter to discuss openly in Pakistan. Simply put, an abortion is a deliberate act of ending an infant’s life to discontinue pregnancy. At least one million abortions take place in Pakistan on an annual basis. That said, the intensity of this problem has magnified in the country in recent years and unsafe abortions are being opted to ‘get things done’ instantaneously.

Women’s reproductive freedom is a right to legal and safe abortions, birth control, access to good quality reproductive healthcare and education

Article 388 of Pakistan’s penal code ‘Isqat-e-Haml’ clearly states that ‘whoever causes a woman with child whose organs have not been formed, to miscarry, if such miscarriage is not caused in good faith for the purpose of saving the life of the woman, or providing necessary treatment to her, is said to commit isqat-e-haml.’

It has become easier for women to access health facilities and carry out abortions in secrecy in contrast to times when they would used hangers or unsafe means of terminating an infant’s life on their own. Abortions date back to medieval history when infanticide was commonly practiced and children, usually identical twins, were intentionally killed as it was believed that they were products of adultery.

There is a clear line of distinction between the two schools of thoughts; prolife and prochoice. A prolife person believes that abortion is unethical and morally wrong, whereas a prochoice individual advocates the right to choose life or death for an infant under exceptional circumstances. The two perspectives are independent of each other and have caused upheaval among people who adhere to anti-abortion or freedom to choose.

Women’s reproductive freedom is a right to legal and safe abortions, birth control, access to good quality reproductive healthcare and education. Unless these rights are not ensured, social equality for women cannot be achieved.

As far as the anti-abortion perspective goes, no individual reserves the right to end a child’s life — it is not abortion, it is murder. I am not debating who is right or wrong however, I believe that unprotected sex and lack of family planning contribute to ignorance and irresponsibility. If prochoice advocates scream ‘right to choose’ withstanding the fact that an abortion is justified barring exceptions (rape or sexual abuse), is a gross miscarriage of justice.

Furthermore, the drawbacks of an abortion are far more devastating than we think. From a psychological standpoint, life-long regret and depression post abortion — PTSD is a common aftershock.

Similarly, abortions increase the likelihood of cancer, particularly of the breast and reduce fertility. Instead of solving problems for families, abortions create further problems namely suicide ideation and stress.

Where do we find common ground? I believe that liberalising the media to discuss abortion openly can make a stark difference. It can help many women, who have no idea what they are doing to opt for the right alternative. Secondly, pre-marital sex leading to pregnancy and young women opting for abortions as a substitute is unethical. As alternatives, protected sex and adoption should be considered.

Perhaps, the most important factor to take into account is financial aid rendered by the government of Pakistan for women who cannot afford to give their unborn child a quality life. Above all, unexpected pregnancies should be avoided and education on human biology and reproduction can put things in perspective.

The accepted ritual of having teen marriages in Pakistan needs to change as it is a grave cause of abortion. As Mother Teresa rightfully said, ‘It is poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish.’

The writer is a model, actor and writer for fashion magazines HELLO! Pakistan and Grazia, a contributor for Daily Times, Pakistan Today. He tweets @HaiderRifaat Twitter.com/HaiderRifaat

Published in Daily Times, January 15^th 2018.