Dear ICWRSA colleagues,
On 27 September 2026, the RHR Literacy Institute in Japan held an online event to mark International Safe Abortion Day 2026.
The event, titled “What Is Needed for Safe Abortion Care? Considering Systems, Stigma, Access and Values,” addressed structural barriers to abortion care in Japan, including legal and institutional restrictions, stigma, access, and the values that shape abortion care and support.
The event was organized in solidarity with the global International Safe Abortion Day campaign. We used WGNRR’s 2026 campaign materials and Call to Action, informed WGNRR about our event in advance, and are also submitting a post-event report to them.
Based on the Call to Action, we also submitted a written request to the Japanese government calling for concrete measures to improve abortion access and bring national policy closer to international standards on reproductive health and rights.
The event also marked the publication of Abortion Care Counseling: From Deconstructing Stigma to Practice, a new book by Kumi Tsukahara, Representative Director of the RHR Literacy Institute. The book examines abortion stigma, structural barriers, and the foundations of respectful abortion care. This is the cover:
We also reported on the Institute’s continuing abortion Values Clarification for Action and Transformation (VCAT) programme. Following an abortion VCAT workshop held in February 2026, further sessions are scheduled for October 2026 and January 2027 in Matsumoto, and another workshop is planned for December 2026.
In addition, the Institute published a special International Safe Abortion Day issue of its newsletter, Repro News.
The written request to the Japanese government, as well as the latest and previous issues of Repro News, are available on the RHR Literacy Institute website (https://www.rhr-literacy-lab.net/). Please note that these materials are currently available only in Japanese.
A recording of the event is available on YouTube: https://youtu.be/C1t2xnwaRZE
Best regards,
Kumi Tsukahara,
Representative Director,
RHR Literacy Institute, Japan