Abortion - A Field Unregulated by International Law?

Abstract

Despite nuanced and complex international treaties on protecting human rights, women’s rights, and prohibiting discrimination, sex-selective abortion remains a critical issue for legal scholars and social discourse alike. This paper examines the legal perspective on sex-selective abortion, considering the right to life of the fetus, discrimination against women, and the right to reproductive health. Drawing on international case law, international agreements, and existing legal scholarship, this paper argues that a stronger global regulatory framework to prohibit sex-selective abortion, recognizing it as a form of discrimination, would be a first step towards alleviating the problem.