Clause 11 has been deleted. The conversation has not.
By Memory Pamella Kadau Deleting Clause 11 did not delete the need for it. It did not delete Memory in Guruve, a 16-year-old girl trying to understand whether the law protects her after a pregnancy caused by sexual abuse, while adults around her speak in whispers, clinics speak in caution, and the state speaks in
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“It Still Haunts Me”: The Hidden Toll of Unsafe Abortions in Zimbabwe
By Anna Miti HARARE — Every year, an estimated 65,300 induced abortions take place across Zimbabwe. For many of the women and girls behind this statistic, the procedure is not a medical one but a desperate gamble involving any number of methods. The limited circumstances under which abortion is legally permitted under the Termination of
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The Mental Health Toll of Forced Pregnancy in Child Survivors of Rape
By Maceline M. Mukwamba In Zimbabwe and across many parts of the world, a quiet crisis continues to unfold behind closed doors, within families, schools, and communities. It is the story of children, girls often between the ages of 10 and 17, who survive rape only to face a second, prolonged trauma of being forced
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The Cost of Inaction: Urgent Attention to Abortion Law in Zimbabwe
By Mildred Mushunje (PhD) & Dean Mutata (BSc,  MSc) Background Zimbabwe’s health crisis is often framed in terms of economic decline or health financing gaps. Yet there is another crisis, silent, gendered, and entirely preventable, rooted in abortion policy inaction. Trapped between inherited colonial law, religious anxiety, and political discomfort and misinformed moralistic judgemental attitudes,
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Zimbabwe’s abortion debate is asking the wrong questions
By Memory Pamella Kadau Zimbabwe’s abortion conversation remains trapped in the wrong questions. Why are we still debating whether the procedure should be allowed when the law (ToP) already makes provision for it? And why, under a system that claims to protect women, are they still dying from unsafe procedures, while young girls are forced
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Senate Approves Medical Services Amendment Bill After Deleting Clause 11
Michael Gwarisa After days of speculation and heightened public debate, Zimbabwe’s Medical Services Amendment Bill [H.B. 6A, 2025] has passed Parliament, but without the contentious Clause 11, which was formally deleted during the legislative process. The Bill was considered during the Committee Stage in the Parliament of Zimbabwe, where Clauses 1 to 10 were approved
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Clause 11 Debate Puts Zimbabwe’s Abortion Laws in the Spotlight
By Michael Gwarisa Today, the Senate is set to debate amendments to the Medical Services Amendment Bill, a move aimed at aligning the principal Act with Section 76 of Zimbabwe’s Constitution, which guarantees access to emergency medical treatment. Among the proposed amendments, Clause 11 has emerged as the most contested provision, attracting attention from civil
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No Woman Dreams of Motherhood Born of Violence
By Maceline Mukwamba, Director, Adult Rape Clinic By the time a girl or woman gathers the courage to report rape, the clock has often already worked against her. Research in Zimbabwean communities finds that the majority of sexual abuse goes unreported, with cultural norms, fear of stigma, and protective attitudes toward perpetrators cited as major
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All Eyes on the Senate: Can Zimbabwe Modernise Its Termination of Pregnancy Law Through Evidence and Consensus
By Michael Gwarisa In October 2025, Zimbabwe’s National Assembly approved far-reaching amendments to the Termination of Pregnancy Act [Chapter 15:10] of 1977. The proposed changes, introduced through the Medical Services Amendment Bill, 2025, now await consideration by the Senate before possible presidential assent. The outcome will determine whether Zimbabwe aligns its reproductive health laws with
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When Religion Rules the Womb: Zimbabwe’s Fight Over Abortion Rights
By Kuda Pembere The High Court last month delivered a landmark judgment declaring parts of Zimbabwe’s abortion law unconstitutional. The court ruled that provisions of the Termination of Pregnancy Act violate several fundamental rights, particularly those of women with mental illness and victims of sexual abuse within mental health institutions. Justice Sylvia Chirawu-Mugomba found that
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