This week the International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC) is hosting “International Access to Safe Abortion Week” to raise awareness about the importance of access to safe abortion worldwide, as well as highlight work being done to achieve greater access for women.

I’m glad they’ve taken the opportunity to draw attention to this issue. We’ve come a long way, but much more remains to be done to ensure better access and save women’s lives: each year, an estimated 20 million unsafe abortions occur worldwide. About 70,000 women, the vast majority of them in developing countries, die from the consequences of these unsafe abortions every year, and untold numbers suffer severe health effects.

So we know the numbers are grim. But what can we do to address this uniquely feminist problem on a global scale?

First, get more information and become an advocate for this important cause by checking out the just-released abortion advocacy brief.

Next, educate yourself on the details of misoprostol, a little-known but widely-available anti-ulcer medication that can also be used by women to self-induce abortion safely. From the just-released guide “Abortion With Self-Administered Misoprostol”:

“Research has found that misoprostol used alone is about 85 percent successful in inducing abortion when used as recommended, offering a safe and accessible alternative for women who have no other option.”

Third, write your Representative to show your support for the Global Sexual and Reproductive Health Act. You can find contact information and a sample letter here.

Lastly, check out the rest of Intl Access to Safe Abortion week over on Akimbo for more information and resources, including a video highlighting the disappointing truth that in many areas, even though abortion is technically legal, it is not always accessible and safe.