Tag Archives: abortion

“Passion is what drives you to work for a cause, being a happy person increases your commitment.” – Sarah Soysa

11 Saturday Apr 2015

Posted by in #WomenAtWork, Features

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Photo provides by Sarah Soysa

Photo provides by Sarah Soysa

Sarah Soysa is passionate about her work, a feminist working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and gender issues, she is currently reading for her masters in gender and development studies at the University of Melbourne. She is the initiator of the first hotline in Sri Lanka which provides information on safe medical abortion as a way to provide accurate information to women and girls on safe medical abortion and contraceptives. She spoke of what inspired her to choose her career, and volunteering for causes she believes in.

Experienced Turned Aspiration

Sarah says that the experiences of gender inequality and injustice that she experienced throughout her childhood and youth motivated her to choose the human rights sector to work. “As a young person had limited access to accurate information and health services, specially sexual and reproductive health services and my knowledge on my bodily rights and the law of the country was very low. I am now working passionately to

make things different for the current and future young people so that they would be able to make informed decisions in their life defending and enjoying their rights,” she added.

Education & Passion

She further spoke no how education and passion could be linked, not disconnected.  “In order to work in any field, especially in a country like Sri Lanka educational qualifications play a role. So the link between education and what one believes in plays a role and experience in what you choose as your cause matters,” said Sarah.

Among the organisations for which she has volunteered are national and regional organizations such as IPPF, Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka, South Asia Regional Youth Network, Commonwealth Gender Equality Network, YPEER Sri Lanka, Young Women’s Christian Association Sri Lanka and Australia,  as well as Asia Safe Abortion Partnership.  She is also a current advisor for FRIDA Feminist Fund.

“I started volunteering for the youth technical advisory committee of the Family Planning Association of Sri Lanka and YPEER Sri Lanka as a peer educator and a youth advocate passionate on SRHR and gender equality. I read and keep myself updated on current issues related to my area of work and always take necessary action where interventions are needed. I am surrounded by amazing young feminists and human rights defenders who makes me and keeps me motivated to do what I do,” she added.

A Woman Talking on Sex

“As a young woman I have faced many difficulties working in the field of sexual and reproductive health and rights because of the taboo associated with it. I was judged, criticised and also challenged when people learnt that I advocate for safe abortion rights with a restrictive legal environment in the country,” explained Sarah.

She also added that the continuous threats and challenges on social media when discussing women’s rights, safe abortion rights, issues related to sexual orientation and gender identity is a challenge for the ensuring that the sexual and reproductive rights are protected.

“It is disheartening to see how lightly young women are taken in decision making fora, merely as a token of representation for the gender balance. To date young women are completely or partially neglected inn the discussions on policy changes, and designing of programmes that affect them. Decisions on women are taken without their active participation in the decision making process. This leads to neglecting the real issues, concerns and challenges affecting young women as well as to aggravating the situation that persist on rights violations aushc as increasing of violence against them, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, psychological stress, increasing HIV and STI infections,” she pointed out.

Balancing Professional and Personal

Sarah believes that personal life is not a barrier for a woman’s professional life but mentions that your family and friends understanding what you do is important.

“Personal and professional life can be very well balanced for it to be the case, it is extremely important that your family members and friends know what you are working on. If you decide to work on a sensitive topic or an area such as sexual and reproductive health it is very important to start the sensitisation from your home and then move to your close friends and then to the community,” she added.

She also pointed out that it is important to acknowledge the support of one’s family and to find time for them while pursuing what one believes in.

“Making time for your loved ones and for you to take a break is very important. It increases one’s creativity. On a personal level it has helped me put things in perspective as well as be a better person.  Passion is what drives you to work for a cause, being a happy person increases your commitment to it.”

Sarah wishes her work to improve the availability of safe, legal and quality abortion services for women in Sri Lanka especially for young women and other disadvantaged groups creating a space for them to enjoy their rights freely without discrimination or violence.

Abortion : A hypothesis

18 Tuesday Sep 2012

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I was seated waiting for my number to be called at the doctor when through the slightly open door of the gynaecologist in the other room, I could see two patients at the table talking to him. One an elderly woman of around 50yrs of age, while the other possibly in her early 20s or not yet out of school. In boredom I drifted off to a hypothesis and possibilities of their identities.

In my head the elderly woman was the mum, and the other of course her daughter, and the doctor was in his serious mood, a rare occurrence I presumed. The story in my head weaves as I wait, the nurse been asked to step out while the conversation goes on, awaits its end, with an expression of sullen annoyance on. After a good half an hour the two step out, and the mum instructs the girl to worship the doctor. She still remains annoyed, but looks relieved. The girl coming out, seems happy, and sans scruples.

As my hypothesis continues, the only explanation I could think of was the possibility of a mum and daughter who had come in search of an abortion, being answered in the positive. Blame me for the twisted creativity of my mind, but in my boredom, waiting in a crowded room filled with sick beings, I preferred my assumption to the possibly contradicting reality of the circumstances. I imagined that one mother and daughter who had come in seek of relief, regarding an unwanted pregnancy had been answered, or given directions as to how they could find their solace without depending on the mercy of a jackass who possibly got the girl pregnant but did not want to man up and accept his kid. I liked to think that the girl who yet didn’t seem to have the capacity to raise a kid on her own, was not to be burdened with her charge, and then in turn was not to end up dragging a kid’s life into misery in the process. I like to think of it all, in my way of thinking. Not because I am not pro life, but because I have seen what women go through in trying to find a way out of a miserable life they might end up in, thanks to morality and laws that would not evolve, while the world around has moved on.

I think of the woman I know who bore a kid from the man who raped her, her brother who took the kid into his family as his to be exposed to the world, so that his sister could continue her studies and have a life. She ended up supporting the kid nevertheless, as he was hers, though the genes of the dad seemed evident, with the kid getting into trouble since his early teens, and turning his back on any form of education attempted to be given to him. Her destiny was decided a good 18 years ago, when she could not ask for an abortion, even while a medical student. May be she was scared, maybe she was in shock, ma be I just do not know what truly went in her mind. But then have things changed much over those years? Though one wishes to answer in the positive, evidence proves otherwise. Asking the question of the possibility of an abortion is enough to cause embarrassment, to be ridiculed, preached and scolded with unsolicited lectures handed over.

I wonder when the world has moved on with the right to choose why we lag behind preaching and making lives miserable for those who cannot but end up turning for illegal abortion options, risking their lives. Why preach when ears are not open to hear, but not help when it is help that be needed? In my hypothesis of what went in that room with a doctor and two women, I gained respect for the man who would have given some hope to those two individuals of a future that was less bleak. Even had he not agreed to perform the task, I still respected the man for asking the nurse to step out and not evesdrop on the conversation which would have been difficult enough to have, and which would have been made more uncomfortable in the presence of a third party.

“Number 17!”

I respond to my calling, walk in, leaving the slightly open door behind, and with it the rest of my imagination.

Abortion : “It’s all her fault!”

18 Wednesday May 2011

Posted by in Fiction

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It was like revisiting one of those crime scenes. The women crawling in corners, and wriggling in pain. The blank looks, and the suffering on their faces. She remembered them, those faces and that suffering. She felt helpless for those whose faces were drawn with fear, and loss.

She did not know how to help any, let alone help herself.

They called it a clinic, but it was more like a slaughter house. Hygiene, safety all lost. But women visiting out of desperation, to get some relief, to get rid of those unwanted lives growing within them.

Do they even want to go through it? she knew not. She did not have the courage to ask. She was a mere witness of the horror that flowed or followed.

May be she was raped, or maybe she already had too many kids. May be she had a jackass of a boyfriend who did not believe in being a father to the child he gave. So many options, so many presumptions, available and just flowing in the air. One too many I say.

She just stared, a spectator of crimes being committed, every 30 minutes, one woman after another, walking up the stairs, then walking out in a bloodstained cloth. They just walk out, on their own, the stains of blood, the stains of their lost virtue, pride and dignity. The depression is yet to flow, and they will embrace it, or they will walk off, out of that ugly image, indifferent, emotionless or unbroken. May be life moves on for them. May be life is simple, clear cut, and not worth comprehension. May be they just do not think, analyse, or rather, over analyse.

The night is beautiful. He keeps on talking, holding her hand. “It’s all her fault! I mean don’t these women believe in the pill?” She just looks at him. Suddenly seeing him in a different light. “I am all for legalising abortion, but this, this is disgusting..” and the rest of the words just get drowned, in those ugly images of the slaughter house, where she was seated waiting for her friend, to walk out safe.

The smell of blood, the pain on their faces, the feelings and the fear. The loss of a loved one wanted, thanks to a moron. The tears that flow down her cheeks, the tears of feeling a slut, and hugging the friend as she sobs. All gush in.

It was not “her” fault! She knows it.

And just  for a moment, she just hated him with all the love she had in her heart.