Using hotlines to improve women’s

access to information in legally

restricted settings

 Líneas telefónicas sobre misoprostol para un aborto seguro: mejorando el acceso de las mujeres a la información en contextos

legales restrictivos

ICMA – WoWMarch 8-10, 2012

Who we are

• ICMA is a consortium and a movement

• It has a diverse and multidisciplinary global membership of national and international organisations and of activists and advocates working together with health professionals, researchers and policymakers

• Its members and associated networks are all autonomous

Mission and objectives

• Advocate for medical abortion in the context of safe abortion worldwide

• Advocate for the incorporation of medical abortion into public health systems and innovative mechanisms to make medical abortion available, accessible and affordable

• Advocate for laws, policies and regulations

which make the provision of safe abortion possible

Structure

• Coordination and Program Officers and Staff

• Steering committee – responsible for the direction of ICMA including the networks (affiliates)

Regional networks

ANMA African Network for Medical Abortion: February, 2009

ASAP Asia Safe Abortion Partnership: March, 2008

CLACAI Latin American Consortium against Unsafe Abortion: May, 2006

EEARC Eastern European Alliance for Reproductive Choice: June, 2008

International Conferences

• Medical Abortion: An International Forum on Policies, Programmes and Services, Johannesburg, 2004

• International Conference on Second Trimester Abortion, London, 2007

• Expanding Access to Medical Abortion, Lisbon, 2010

Information package

• Audiences– Women– Health providers– NGOs and women’s organizations– Policy makers

• Translated into seven languages

• Available on ICMA web and CD (update 2012)

Objectives of this meeting (1)

• To share the experiences of setting up hotlines which give information to women on safe abortion in legally restricted settings;

• To discuss how to strengthen the provision of information to women based on their needs;

• To share strategies for advocacy of safe, legal abortion and how to cope with opposition and threats within the social and political environment;

Objectives of this meeting (2)

• To discuss mechanisms of documenting and evaluating the work of hotlines

• To share experiences of existing and new communication strategies to get this information to women, create enabling conditions and make alliances for advocacy and public support;

Vision

• To create an international movement that brings together groups and individuals promoting choice on abortion at international, regional and country level

• To support the right of every woman to a safe, legal abortion on request

Lets share, exchange and learn!

Lets enjoy and have fun!

www.medicalabortionconsortium.org