In March 2008, 37 participants from 13 countries met in Kuala Lumpur and formed the Asia Safe Abortion Partnership (ASAP), facilitated by ICMA. This network has members from Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, Pakistan, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Turkey and Vietnam. ASAP is the only such network in Asia and we work on south-south capacity building and providing a forum for experience sharing and interactions. Members and partners at country level are supported in their advocacy work through small grants, networking and capacity building opportunities.

A society in which Asian women live with dignity with sexual and reproductive rights and health fulfilled.

To promote, protect and advance women’s sexual and reproductive rights and health in Asia, by promoting access to comprehensive safe abortion services and by reducing unsafe abortion and its complications.

(Explanation: Access refers to all its components such as geographical, financial, sensitive, continuity of care. Comprehensive services include pre-procedure counselling, a full range of safe and effective methods, post-abortion care and contraception, as well as emergency referral services as needed)

• Objective 1: To increase the availability of evidence-based and scientific information on safe abortion, including medical abortion, and to facilitate its dissemination and use among members and other relevant stakeholders.
• Objective 2: To increase the capacities of the network and its members to advocate and network for access to safe abortion as a human right.
• Objective 3: To promote technologies and service delivery systems (to include mainstream and alternative) for safer abortion access.
• Objective 4: To increase the visibility of a right-based approach to safe abortion at local, regional, and global forums (physical as well as media spaces).