For the first issue of 2025, the editorial board of Interdisciplinary Political Studies (IdPS) welcomes the submission of proposals for the special issue “Steps forward and backward on reproductive rights in advanced democracies”.

In recent years, the discussion around reproductive rights, particularly the right to abortion, has been rekindled at a public and political level in advanced democracies. Abortion has returned to the centre of the international scene, especially following the emergence of new radical right political forces, the introduction of severe service access restrictions in Poland in 2021, and the overturning of the Roe v. Wade ruling in the United States in 2022. These decisions have revived the debate around reproductive rights and the right to abortion, often triggering new demands and mobilizations in support as well as paving the way for more restrictive measures in other contexts. For example, in 2024, France included the right to abortion in its Constitution, becoming the first country in the world to make the right constitutionally guaranteed. Shortly afterward, the European Parliament voted to introduce the right to abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. In other advanced democracies, the effectiveness of the right to abortion has been threatened by national governments. Among these cases, Italy has recently allowed pro-life associations to work in places where abortions are requested and performed. On the other hand, in Poland, after severe restrictions on reproductive healthcare passed in 2021, the newly elected government has recently declared its willingness to reconsider the 2021 measure.

The Special Issue aims to contribute to the literature by investigating the latest developments regarding the right to abortion and, more generally, reproductive rights in advanced democracies. The papers composing the Special Issue will be focused on one or more advanced democracies in a comparative perspective in which positive or negative changes have occurred in recent years concerning the guarantee of reproductive rights, particularly the right to abortion, and the broader mission of reproductive justice.

The Special Issue welcomes submissions from political science, sociology, public policy, and law based on single case studies as well as comparative analyses on the following topics:

- Process of affirmation and evolution of reproductive rights

- Political and public debate on reproductive rights

- The role of politics in reproductive rights

- Anti- and Pro- movement for reproductive rights

- Anti- and Pro- policies for reproductive rights

- Implementation of services for the guarantee of reproductive rights

We welcome studies of reproductive rights and sexual politics, including but not limited to abortion, contraception, pregnancy care, assisted reproductive technology, sexual education, adoption and family-building policies, and fertility choices. We particularly welcome papers that incorporate the reproductive justice theoretical framework.

If you are interested in contributing to this special issue, please send an email with your name and institutional affiliation, an abstract of approximately 250 words, and a short bio of no more than 200 words to the guest editors by August 23rd, 2024:

Payton Gannon (psg37@georgetown.edu)

Danielle Pullan (pullan@mpifg.de)

Gaia Matilde Ripamonti (gaiamatilde.ripamonti@dispes.units.it)

All proponents will be informed about their inclusion in the special issue by September 7, 2024. The first draft of the article will be expected by 1st December (max. 9,000 words with references).

Submission instructions

Proposals should be submitted using the journal’s submission platform (http://siba-ese.unisalento.it/index.php/idps). Prospective authors are encouraged to read carefully the instructions for authors.

Peer review policy

Please note that all manuscripts will be checked with an anti-plagiarism system and will be subject to double-blind peer review. The peer-review process will be managed by the editorial board of Interdisciplinary Political Studies.