The Right to Abortion in North Macedonia.
Equitable access to safe abortion is part of the corpus of human rights. Providing women with access to safe abortion means protection and realization of one of their fundamental human rights. However, around the world, even nowadays, women face not only legal obstacles, but as well stigmatization and conviction against fulfillment of the right to abortion. In North Macedonia there a multiple type of barriers and large inequalities related to the accessibility and availability of reproductive healthcare services. Women with low socio-economic status are mostly affected.
Women’s sexual and reproductive rights and healthcare are an integral part of the human rights. However, women worldwide face denials and infringement of their sexual and reproductive
rights. These denials erode longstanding efforts and commitments to achieve gender equality. The focus of this opinion piece is on North Macedonia due to 20-years of work in the field of women’s
human rights, including women’s sexual and reproductive rights, and due to the frequent change in the context of their availability.
In regard to the right to abortion, North Macedonia adopted by succession the Law on Abortion, dated back from 1977 in ex-Yugoslavia. According to this law, the abortion was legal without any restrictions. However, the ruling conservative party in 2013 voted to support the newly restrictive proposed legislation without wider public debate and consultation with the civic sector. It was a step back and a step towards a potential ban on termination. At cultural level, the still predominant traditional mentality and patriarchal culture stigmatize women and girls who perform the procedure, as well create a perception around abortion as immoral and unlawful.
Women Health Open J. 2021; 7(1): 1-3. doi: 10.17140/WHOJ-7-139