GRPA Head calls for recommitment to abortion rights

…gap between law and lived reality far too wide for many women and girls

On the 30th anniversary of the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act (1995), the Guyana Responsible Parenthood Association (GRPA) is calling for bold and urgent action to dismantle the cultural and institutional barriers that continue to restrict women’s access to safe abortion care, despite Guyana’s legal status.
Executive Director of GRPA, Kobe Smith, delivered a powerful statement marking the anniversary; celebrating the country’s progressive legal framework while sounding the alarm on the gap between law and lived reality for too many women and girls across the nation.

Guyana remains one of only two Caribbean nations that permit abortion on request within the first eight weeks of pregnancy. Under the law, women do not need to justify their decision, seek partner or parental permission, or meet any medical criteria. Yet, Smith notes, these rights exist more on paper than in practice.
“Thirty years ago, Guyana made history,” Smith declared. “But despite this legal milestone, many women and girls in Guyana continue to face immense barriers to accessing safe abortion care. Stigma, misinformation, systemic discrimination, and the fear of judgment remain deeply entrenched in our health systems, our communities, and even our homes. These barriers do not just inconvenience — they endanger. They force many into silence, into unsafe alternatives, into trauma”.
The GRPA Executive Director emphasised that this is not merely a public health issue, but a matter of social justice and human rights, highlighting that unsafe abortions, often the result of stigma and misinformation continue to place women’s lives at risk. On this point, he explained that the barriers are especially severe for young people, rural populations, and those living in poverty.
In his statement, Smith issued a direct appeal to a broad spectrum of Guyanese society: policymakers, health professionals, educators, civil society, and faith-based organisations.
“We call on all stakeholders — policymakers, healthcare professionals, civil society, educators, and faith-based leaders — to recommit to the spirit of the 1995 Act by ensuring that access to abortion is not only legal, but also affordable, available, and treated as essential health care. We must equip providers with the training, resources, and support they need to deliver non-judgmental rights-based care. We must dismantle the stigma that silences so many women and girls from seeking the services they need. And we must build a culture — in every region, in every clinic, in every family — that affirms a woman’s right to choose as a matter of dignity and human rights,” he urged.
Further, Smith called for increased investment in provider training, better access to approved facilities, public education campaigns to combat misinformation, and stronger protections for women seeking care.
“Abortion is not a moral failure. It is healthcare. It is a right. And it must be safe, accessible, and stigma-free… This places Guyana at the forefront of reproductive rights in the region — a position we must not only protect, but build upon,” he declared.