By Memory Pamella Kadau
“Abortion kills.”
“Abortion is illegal.”
“Abortion is a sin.”
“Baby Dumped in Bush as Illegal Abortions Rise.”
“Zimbabwe: Our Ugly Secret – Abortion, Illegal but Thriving.”
“How Can Zimbabwe Allow Abortion When It Has Just Abolished the Death Penalty?”
“Zimbabwe: Historic Victory for Reproductive Justice – High Court Ruling.”
“New Abortion Guidelines Expand Choice in Zimbabwe.”
These are the headlines that shape Zimbabwean opinions long before anyone reads the actual law.
Media breaking stigma or building it?
The media plays a key role in shaping public narratives and informing communities. It can offer accurate, life saving information, or it can amplify misinformation and stigma. In Zimbabwe, media narratives have shaped public understanding of abortion more strongly than the Termination of Pregnancy Act (ToP) of 1977 itself. While coverage has improved, the framing of abortion stories remains divided and contested.
For decades, abortion was treated as a criminal issue rather than a healthcare matter regulated by law. Headlines focused on arrests, abandoned newborns, and “illegal terminations,” creating a public impression that abortion is always unlawful and always linked to wrongdoing. This framing routinely conflated baby dumping, infanticide, and abortion, which are distinct legal and social issues. The result was confusion, stigma, and deep public misunderstanding.
When I was eight, I saw messages like “abortion kills” and “abortion is illegal” painted on trees and public spaces. For many people, this was the only information available on the subject. When I asked questions, I was firmly told that abortion was a crime, a shameful topic and a sin. Ten years later, I learnt about the ToP, which allows abortion under specific conditions when the pregnancy endangers the woman’s life or her physical or mental health, when it results from rape or incest, or when the fetus will not survive or has severe abnormalities. Early misinformation shaped perceptions for a generation and continues to influence national attitudes today.
Information gaps within the health system
Huge information gaps persist on when abortion is legally permitted under the Termination of Pregnancy Act. Most healthcare providers and the general public still do not know the lawful grounds of rape, incest, severe foetal abnormalities, or threats to a woman’s life or physical health. A national survey of 227 health workers showed that only 25 percent could correctly identify all legal indications, while over 30 percent held at least one misconception. Half of the reproductive health experts surveyed were also misinformed. This mixture of knowledge gaps, stigma, and fear of prosecution continues to undermine both legal abortion services and quality post abortion care.
Although national guidelines since 2012 to 2016 expanded post abortion care by integrating it into essential services and allowing misoprostol and manual vacuum aspiration at primary level, implementation is still patchy. Provider confusion about the law, along with ongoing training and supply chain gaps, keeps the system underperforming and women paying the price.
The impact of the “abortion is illegal” and “abortion kills” narratives
One of the strongest drivers of abortion related stigma is the widespread and persistent belief that abortion is completely illegal. Media reports, public discourse, and even some health training materials frequently omit the limited lawful grounds under the ToP. As a result, many women who actually qualify for a legal procedure never seek care, while health providers often remain uncertain about what the law allows, fear prosecution, or refuse services because of personal or religious beliefs.
Unsafe abortion, not medically supervised abortion, is what kills women in Zimbabwe. In 2018, unsafe abortion complications made up 25 percent of all maternal deaths. Even as the national maternal mortality ratio dropped to 212 per 100,000 in the 2023 to 2024 ZDHS, unsafe abortions continued to drive about 18 percent of direct maternal deaths. Progress remains uneven, with total maternal deaths rising by 16 percent since 2021 due to economic pressures and health system disruptions.
Media reporting often makes the situation worse by confusing legal terminations with clandestine procedures. This deepens stigma and pushes women to delay care out of fear of judgement, police reporting or social consequences. These delays lead to preventable complications such as sepsis and heavy bleeding, which together make up more than seventy percent of abortion related cases treated in health facilities. These complications can be avoided through correct information, early care seeking, and stigma free communication.
Sensational reporting and its consequences
Between the early 2000s and mid 2020s, sensational reporting dominated abortion coverage. Women’s circumstances were simplified, anonymised, or framed as moral failure. Healthcare workers were sometimes exposed publicly, discouraging lawful service provision and creating professional fear. Commentary prioritised religious or moral opinion over legal and medical evidence. This information gap allowed stigma to thrive unchecked.
Media coverage of Zimbabwe’s abortion reforms
Zimbabwe has recently made important reforms, including removing some consent barriers for minors and expanding protections for mental health and disability. However, media coverage has often exaggerated these changes, claiming that the country had fully legalised abortion. This sparked moral panic and reinforced stigma. Other outlets reported the reforms accurately, helping communities understand their rights and options. The same media that once pushed women toward unsafe procedures now determines whether these reforms save lives or remain mere words on paper.
Why accurate narratives matter
Balanced, factual reporting helps survivors understand their rights, reduces fear around mental health grounds and encourages early care seeking. It also helps healthcare workers follow WHO approved guidelines such as manual vacuum aspiration and correct use of misoprostol. Accurate information supports policymakers to implement reforms fully and keeps the public informed of their rights.
The success of legal reforms depends heavily on public communication. Laws cannot function if people do not understand them. When the media communicates accurately, communities know their rights and policymakers remain accountable. When reporting is unclear or sensational, reforms remain on paper and do not translate into improved access in clinics or district hospitals.
