On this week's episode of World in Progress, Croatia, a Balkan country known among tourists for its beautiful coastal towns and rugged landscape, is also becoming known for something else: an ever more heated debate about abortion rights.
Abortion is technically legal in the country of 3.9 million. But critics say gradual changes to the laws in recent decades and the influence of the Catholic Church have eroded women’s access to a safe abortion, pointing to the number of women who are having to cross the border into neighboring Slovenia for the procedure.
Reporter Jennifer Collins took a deep dive into the issue, visiting doctors, protests and pro-life prayer groups to find out more.
We’ll also hear stories about women’s empowerment from around the globe, from Ethiopia, where a young artist is putting a new spin on traditional fabric, to China, where the LGBTQ community is finding creative ways to create safe spaces.