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OpenZimbabwe Civil Society Groups Call For Broader Abortion Rights
The Health Law Policy (HLPC) and the Institute for Young Women’s Development (IYWD) are pushing for the amendment of the Termination of Pregnancy Act to create a safe abortion environment for women and girls.
The Act, also known as Chapter 15:10, specifies certain circumstances under which a pregnancy may be terminated, such as in cases of rape, incest, or when the pregnancy poses a risk to the mother’s health.
However, the two organisations feel that the circumstances under which abortion is permitted are not broad enough to allow safe abortions.
In an interview with NewZimbabwe.com on the sidelines of a media sensitisation training held over the weekend, HLPC programmes coordinator Dorcas Chitiyo said:
The issue that we are grappling with is that there are many barriers that women face, that are in existence, that are prohibiting access to safe abortions.
We start with our legal framework, which is the Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977.
It creates challenges for women because it has very restricted grounds on which abortion is legal…maybe a woman is a survivor of a sexually violent offence or rape resulting in pregnancy, a crime of incest or in the event that it has been recommended by a doctor that the pregnancy continuation is not safe for the child as well as the quality of life for the child is anticipated to be so poor that termination is recommended by a medical practitioner.
Now given that this act is from 1977, there have been many medical advances and much research and a lot of work done to ensure that abortions are accessed safely through medical procedures and medically without the need to always resort to surgical processes.
Chitiyo said that women face several challenges due to restrictive abortion laws in Zimbabwe, arguing that limited legal options lead to unsafe, clandestine procedures, risking women’s health and lives.
Current laws criminalise both those seeking and assisting with abortions, leading to stigma and danger.
The HLPC and ITYD, supported by the Safe Abortion Action Fund, have prepared a position paper arguing for immediate reform to improve access to safe, legal abortions in Zimbabwe.
More: Pindula News
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