The challenges of building a pro-life movement in Asian countries

The difference between pro-life advocacy efforts in many Asian countries as compared to Western ones is stark; to understand why, it is important to examine how many Asian countries perceive the controversial matter of abortion.

Key Takeaways:

• Asia’s muted pro-life activism (as compared to the West’s activism) is a consequence of marked differences in religion, culture, politics, and legal landscapes.

• Pro-life advocates face barriers due to general reluctance in Asia to engage in forms of pro-life protests against pro-abortion laws and policies, varied legal landscapes, and restricted political spaces for pro-life campaigns and advocacy.

• Religious diversity in Asia hinders the establishment of a robust united pro-life front to defend unborn lives.

• While abortion remains controversial in Asia, the topic is considered less of an issue for public protests and legal struggles, and more of a local or personal matter to be dealt with in a low profile manner due to familial or community pressures.

The Details:

In many Western countries like Poland, the United States (U.S.), and the United Kingdom, pro-life advocacy efforts tend to be highly organized; they may feature professional lobbying, various educational initiatives, widespread networks, and mass mobilization via legislative action and events, like the annual March for Life in the U.S. (Washington D.C.) and in the UK (London). Pro-life groups, equipped with professional staff and multi-faceted campaigns, spearhead Western pro-life activism on the national and regional levels. 

But large-scale pro-life movements are few and far between in many Asian countries, with public discourse on abortion far less confrontational than in the West. Why?

Religious/Cultural Factors

In the West, pro-life activism seems largely interlinked with Christian beliefs about the sanctity of human life. Many European and American pro-life groups seek to mobilize churches, Christian schools, and communities to denounce abortion as a grave moral evil. The Catholic Church was a key driving force behind the initial pro-life movement in the U.S. in the 1950s. 

Given that Christianity, a religion that offers vital organization support for the pro-life movement, is not as prevalent in many parts of Asia as compared to Western countries, it is not surprising that the pro-life activism in Asia is relatively muted. Also, owing to the typically non-Christian multi-religious and multi-ethnic nature of many Asian societies (like Singapore, for example), igniting mass movements in favor of pro-life causes is more challenging. 

Political/Legal Factors

In Western countries like the US, milestone court cases like Roe v. Wade have given rise to decades of contentious debate, legal battles, and intense pro-life campaigns. Furthermore, pro-life and pro-abortion camps attempt to influence policy and abortion laws.

Western states permit and sometimes encourage issue advocacy; pro-life activists can utilize legal action and media platforms to rally for change. With electoral politics magnifying the abortion debates in countries like the U.S., France, Poland, and the UK, abortion tends to feature center stage in many elections. For example, the overturning of Roe v. Wade in 2022 provoked a nationwide conversation about abortion, with intense lobbying, dramatic legal battles, and huge rallies dominating the narrative.  

Authoritarianism

However, as many Asian countries have more authoritarian forms of government (for instance, the Chinese Communist Party), pro-life movements in Asia seldom rise to national prominence or feature in electoral debates in Asian countries with parliamentary democratic systems of governance like Singapore and Japan. 

Additionally, countries like China, Vietnam, and Singapore closely monitor their citizens and restrict civil society, stunting the ability of pro-life groups to function and promote their causes. The presence of relatively liberal abortion laws in some Asian countries (like Singapore, where abortion-on-demand is legally permitted until 24 weeks of pregnancy) for decades, together with a lack of public resistance to such abortion laws, also contribute to a trend of public acceptance (or general apathy, at least) for abortion.

Top-down policymaking approaches in many Asian countries like Singapore and China mean that pro-life forces at the grassroots level have their hands tied. There is almost no debate going on in Singapore, a country with one of Asia’s most liberal abortion laws, to ban abortion.

Even the repeal of Roe v. Wade in the U.S. did little to mobilize mass protests or local politics in favor or against abortion in Singapore. 

Desire for social stability

In addition, many Asian countries like South Korea and India tend to focus on social stability and economic development, with governments less likely to facilitate or even permit widespread pro-life advocacy. Therefore, media coverage of pro-life matters in Asia will likely tend to be lower than in Western countries. Many Asian societies also tend to value societal cohesion and harmony, meaning that outright confrontation of pro-abortion laws by pro-life advocates is less likely as well. 

The Bottom Line:

In many Asian countries, abortion is viewed more as a family planning issue instead of as a moral dilemma, leaving governments few incentives to tolerate or encourage pro-life campaigns or mobilizations.

Rather than promote highly prominent national campaigns and legal battles opposing abortion and calling for its ban, pro-life activists in Asia should cautiously build strategic relationships at local levels and weave in local beliefs about the value of life to advance their cause.

Understanding and respecting the differences between Asia and the West are vital to promoting the culture of life in Asia.