manual: women workers' rights and gender equality - International ...

4.18 Abortion
Objective
• To understand that there are different reasons why women choose abortion
• To become aware of the law on abortion
Target group
• Women only
• All ages
• All educational levels
• Rural and urban areas
Material
This manual
Exercise
Step 1
• Explain the group that you want to talk about a controversial subject, namely abortion.
• Tell the group that everybody should feel free to express their own opinion and nobody will be
judged because of their opinion. Ask everybody to listen to each other and respect all opinions.
• Ask the participants if they can explain what they think when they hear ‘abortion’.
• Give the definition of abortion
Step 2
• Ask the participants to listen to the following story carefully:
Sophea is 19 years old. She is living in a beautiful village in the north of Cambodia. One
day she went together with her brother and cousin to Phnom Penh to get some supplies
that are not available in her village. It is a long journey and they had to stay overnight in
Phnom Penh. That is not a problem because they have family there. It was the worst night
in her life: her cousin and a friend raped her during that night. She becomes pregnant. Her
brother does not know anything about it and Sophea will not tell him. She does not want the
child and is secretly planning an abortion somewhere.
Step 3
• Discuss the following issues:
- What kind of problem does Sophea have?
- What is the general opinion about girls with such a problem?
- Do you agree with Sophea?
- Is it allowed what Sophea does?
- Do you know what happens to Sophea if someone finds out?
- What would you do in this case?
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