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India's Supreme Court has said that all women, including those not married, could get an abortion up to 24 weeks. The court said all women, regardless of their marital status, were entitled to safe and legal abortion. It also recognised that sexual assault can take place inside a marriage and a woman should have access to abortion if she became pregnant through a sexual assault. Yogita Bhayana, founder of an organisation called PARI or People Against Rapes in India, has been campaigning for the law to recognise rape within marriage. She says the ruling on abortion for cases of marital rape "is very significant indeed and we are happy and applauding the Supreme Court for this particular judgement." "Adolescent and single girls used to follow unethical and unhygienic practises of abortion, it was a taboo... now they can walk into any clinic, they can get aborted without any guilt and social pressure," she adds. While the new law doesn't go as far as criminalising sexual assault or rape within a marriage, Yogita Bhayana is confident that "it will come soon after this, it is a very progressive judgement." (Photo: Pregnant Indian woman seated. Credit: Getty Images)
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