Recently writer and American prochoice activist Jessica Valenti asked TED talks why they have not featured a talk on abortion. This is what they said in response:

A little patronizing perhaps? I thought so. The organized anti-choice action against abortion providers and clinics in the US is more than a topical issue. It has impacted access to safe abortion across the US, causing disproportionate injustice to women from lower socio-economic classes, and to young people.

Over the years, news on abortion in the US has impacted views and services around the world. One such policy that affects not just the U.S., but several parts of the developing world is the abortion gag rule that bans American funds from reaching international organizations that provide abortion services, including accurate information on safe abortions. In the last 30 years, the policy has stalled progression in over 16 developing countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia, including Nepal, and Pakistan.

For many decades now, women’s organizations around the world have argued that women’s access to reproductive health is incomplete without access to safe abortion services. Denying women this right to determine the outcome of their pregnancies and thereby control their own future is a breach of human rights.

However as one of our followers pointed out on Twitter, TEDx had one brilliant talk about abortion stigma and “shaming” by Australian prochoice activist Leslie Cannold. TEDx are independently organized TED talks.

While this is an amazing that and we are all thankful that TEDx invited Dr. Cannold, it would be amazing if prochoice activists had an opportunity to talk about abortion on TED as well and point out why it is a human rights issue.