By Ntokozo Gudu
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) championing women and girls’ rights in Zimbabwe have called for the urgent amendment of the Termination of Pregnancy Act (TOP), in order to reduce the high maternal deaths associated with unsafe abortions in the country.
Zimbabwe is using a Termination of Pregnancy (ToP) Act that was enacted in 1977 which many Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) believe no longer serves the prevailing challenges faced by women and girls. According to the 1977 law, abortion is allowed under the restricted circumstances of rape, incest, and health.
However, latest UNICEF data shows that around 77,000 unsafe abortions occur annually in Zimbabwe and abortion complications contribute to approximately 15% of maternal deaths in rural areas and 23% in urban regions.
In an interview with HealthTimes on the side-lines of an SRHR and Safe Abortion Indaba that was convened by SAT Zimbabwe, Dr Mildred Mushunje, the SAT Zimbabwe Director said they were already engaged in various advocacy efforts to ensure attention is brought to the termination of the Pregnancy Act and policy changes take effect.
SAT Zimbabwe is dedicated to addressing the pressing issue of unsafe abortions in Zimbabwe. We have an approach where we are working with policymakers who are our parliamentarians so we engage with them so that they understand the issues. We have been able to develop policy briefs which we share and ask them to speak about it in parliament,” said Dr Mushunje.
She added that they were working with different communities including religious leaders, community and traditional leaders to raise awareness on the health challenges brought by unsafe abortions and why the country needs to align the laws under the abortion crises at hand.
“Women face stigma when they are raped, for instance, one might not want to review that they have been raped because of the stigma associated with it, as a result, cases of rap are not reported because they fear stigmatization, and then those who have aborted they will not freely talk about it because they fear stigma in communities.”
Dr. Mushunje highlighted the significant legal obstacles to providing safe abortion services in Zimbabwe.
“We have circumstances under which one can have an abortion and they are not comprehensive and they don’t cater for a woman who might had contraceptive failure for instance she needs to have an abortion and there are gaps within that law,” she said.
Meanwhile, Women Action Group (WAG) Executive Director, Mrs Ednah Masiiwa said the legal environment was discouraging girls and young women from taking up safe abortion options.
“The issue of going to courts to get a certificate for termination of pregnancy is a major obstacle, for instance, people from marginalized communities might face a challenge in accessing the termination certificate from courts,” said Mrs Masiiwa.
“As WAG, we are doing several activities at the community level where we are also raising awareness on the current Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977. This includes educating communities and ensuring that they are informed regarding termination of pregnancy ACT.”
