abusesaffiliationarrow-downarrow-leftarrow-rightarrow-upattack-typeburgerchevron-downchevron-leftchevron-rightchevron-upClock iconclosedeletedevelopment-povertydiscriminationdollardownloademailenvironmentexternal-linkfacebookfiltergenderglobegroupshealthC4067174-3DD9-4B9E-AD64-284FDAAE6338@1xinformation-outlineinformationinstagraminvestment-trade-globalisationissueslabourlanguagesShapeCombined Shapeline, chart, up, arrow, graphLinkedInlocationmap-pinminusnewsorganisationotheroverviewpluspreviewArtboard 185profilerefreshIconnewssearchsecurityPathStock downStock steadyStock uptagticktooltiptwitteruniversalityweb
Article

19 Jul 2016

Author:
Marta Kasztelan, Guardian (UK)

Cambodia's garment workers vulnerable to unsafe abortions

13 Jul 2016

…The garment industry is the linchpin of Cambodia’s economy, and the single biggest employer of women. Some 500 factories hire almost 500,000 female workers, many of whom are young and have migrated to the city from the countryside.

Away from their homes and support networks, and with low levels of education and income, these women are particularly vulnerable and may be inhibited from accessing healthcare information and services, including abortion, according to the UN population fund, UNFPA.

Although Cambodian law allows women to terminate a pregnancy up to 12 weeks, studies suggest that many garment workers are not aware the procedure is legal. As a result, they do not know how to access safe abortion services and predominantly choose expensive and potentially unsafe services from the private sector.

2014 survey (pdf) published by Partnering to Save Lives…found that out of 900 garment workers interviewed for the study, 18% said they had had an abortion. The national average at the time (pdf) was 5%. Almost 75% of women couldn’t indicate where to seek a safe abortion…