Legal but Inaccessible: Abortion in Guyana

Abstract

Seventeen years after Guyana introduced a positive, liberal abortion law, the government, professional bodies and civil society have together failed to give any leadership in implementing that law. How can one explain that after an outstanding campaign of extensive ministerial and parliamentary consultation, as well as widespread engagement from religious organizations and the media, so little has been done by way of implementing the law? This paper seeks to trace some aspects of the copybook campaign for law reform and to learn from the difficulties of providing services over the last seventeen years.

Keywords: abortion law reform, women's reproductive health, activism

JEL Classification: abortion law reform, women's reproductive health