Challenging choice: a media study of anti-abortion movements in India

In recent years, the backlash against abortion and reproductive autonomy has grown, driven by authoritarian regimes and conservative ideologies. In 2023, CommonHealth conducted a study to identify key anti-choice entities in India, examine their global links, and analyse their narratives and strategies for shaping public opinion and influencing policy through media platforms (print and social) in three languages. Key findings were that these organisations are leveraging educational platforms and social media, co-opting campaigns against gender-based discrimination, and framing their arguments with moral and constitutional rhetoric. Their tactics include the manipulation of public perception and gaining trust by blending science, religion, and emotional appeals. Crisis helplines, educational outreach, social media campaigns, mass mobilisation efforts, and direct peer interactions are utilised to particularly influence youth, and garner support against reproductive choice. The study also highlights the growing influence of international networks on these initiatives. The emerging narratives are increasingly focused on intertwining anti-abortion and broader anti-choice ideologies, emphasising fetal rights and the sanctity of life. These initiatives thus pose a significant threat to reproductive rights and autonomy by undermining access to safe and legal abortion services. To counter this evolving anti-abortion activism, it is crucial to develop context-specific interventions and strategies. This analysis aims to contribute to a nuanced understanding of the challenges, calling for interdisciplinary collaboration among stakeholders to safeguard and strengthen reproductive justice. Reconceiving abortion as a life-enhancing decision is therefore essential to advancing reproductive rights and autonomy amidst escalating anti-choice narratives.