CSOs push for court determination on unsafe abortion 

After Parliament failed to debate the Termination of Pregnancy Bill (TOP), some civil society organizations (CSOs) are pushing the Judiciary to deliver its determination on unsafe abortion, which is reportedly affecting women’s and girls’ right to health in this country.

Centre for Human rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Executive Director Micheal Kaiyatsa said the country is recording many deaths as a result of unsafe abortion, adding that many women and girls continue accessing unsafe abortion services in communities where they live.

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Kaiyatsa said if they allow the situation to continue, the country will be left behind in terms of maternal health.

On his part, Nyali Institute Executive Director Dr. Godfrey Kangaude said sexual and reproductive health issues are impacted by structural and economic factor that makes women and girls failing to keep their pregnancies when their partners run away from the responsibility, which resulted to unsafe abortion due to lack of access to safe abortion service.

He further said the social and reproductive justice approach looks at systematic and structural factors rather than just looking at individual right to access to safe abortion service.

He added that they are going to have a dialogue with the executive, the faith leaders, traditional leaders, the communities and the ministry of health to map the way forward on the issue of unsafe abortion.

In his remarks, Kangaude said as a country it is a need to liberate the legislative framework to allow, because most of the issues are really tragic and traumatic that are happening to girls and women who are using unsafe abortion methods to access safe abortion services.

He added that there is a need for more stakeholders’ engagement to see what are the root causes of the problem and how best they can address the issue of unsafe abortion to women and girls in this country.

The civil society organisations have been championed on issues of reproductive health rights particularly focusing on unsafe abortion through pushing the parliament to table the termination of pregnancy bill but doesn’t made it to Parliament for discussion