Malawi – Abortion motion withdrawn to pave way for civic education

Jun 17, 2021 
Russell Kondowe 

Chiradzulu West Member of Parliament Dr Mathews Ngwale has withdrawn his intention to table a private member’s motion on Abortion Bill, saying stakeholders should continue sensitising and civic-educating people in the country about what the bill says.

Ngwale who is also  Chairperson
for the Parliamentary Committee on Health said a lot of people are not aware of
the importance for law on safe abortion to be legislated hence it is important
for people to be sensitised.

Continued: https://malawi24.com/2021/06/17/abortion-motion-withdrawn-to-pave-way-for-civic-education/


Malawi: Abortion Bill in Parliament On Thursday As Malawi As Churches Oppose

10 MARCH 2021

By Chipambano Mbewe, Nyasa Times (Leeds)

The Malawi Parliamentary Health Committee says it will present and move a
motion of the Termination of Pregnancy (TOP) bill on Thursday, March 11 2021 in
the Parliament which will also be presented as a Private Member's Bill
respectively in the face of opposition from faith groups.

If passed, the termination of pregnancy bill would allow abortions when a
woman's mental or physical health is in danger, in cases of rape and incest,
and when there are serious foetal abnormalities.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202103110315.html


Malawi to Debate Liberalizing Abortion in Face of Conservative Opposition

By Lameck Masina
March 10, 2021

BLANTYRE, MALAWI - Abortion is illegal in Malawi, unless the mother's life is at risk, but that doesn't stop an estimated 140,000 women per year having unsafe terminations that leave 12,000 women dead and countless others permanently scarred. Despite these numbers, efforts to liberalize current abortion laws are facing resistance from conservative groups.

After getting pregnant at age 17, “Melita” – not her real name – saw abortion as her only option to stay in school.

Continued: https://www.voanews.com/africa/malawi-debate-liberalizing-abortion-face-conservative-opposition


Malawi MPs debate bill to liberalise abortion laws as churches oppose

Law would widen strict rules in country where thousands suffer complications from unsafe terminations

Charles Pensulo in Lilongwe
Thu 25 Feb 2021

A bill to liberalise Malawi’s abortion laws will be debated by MPs on Thursday in the face of opposition from faith groups.

If passed, the termination of pregnancy bill would allow abortions when a woman’s mental or physical health is in danger, in cases of rape and incest, and when there are serious foetal abnormalities.

Continued:  https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/25/malawi-mps-debate-bill-to-liberalise-abortion-laws-as-churches-oppose


Malawi’s abortion bill pits pro-life against pro-choice

Issued on: 17/10/2020
Laura Angela Bagnetto

Malawi’s members of parliament are due to review a pregnancy termination bill before they take a recess on 23 October, a move that has stirred controversy between lawmakers as well as Malawians.

“We Malawians hide a lot behind the argument that we are a God-fearing nation; we hide behind that in order to run away from the real issue,” says Beatrice Mateyo, executive director for the Coalition for the Empowerment of Women and Girls in Lilongwe.

Continued: https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20201017-malawi-s-abortion-bill-pits-pro-life-against-pro-choice


Malawi: NGOs Urge Malawi’s New Leader to Promote Human Rights

3 July 2020
Centre for Solutions Journalism (Blantyre)
By Glory Msowoya, Mana

Centre for Solutions of Journalism (CSJ) has urged the new administration of the State President Dr Lazarus Chakwera to prioritise the advancement of human rights for all the citizens.

"We urge the new administration to promote and defend human rights for all the citizens without discrimination based on including region, tribe, religion, gender, sex or sexual orientation," said CSJ executive director Brian Ligomeka.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202007030229.html


Malawi: NGO Urges Government to Advance Abortion Law

3 July 2020
Malawi News Agency (Lilongwe)
By Glory Msowoya

Blantyre — Centre for Solutions of Journalism (CSJ) has urged the Tonse Alliance led government to look into abortion law reforms and to enact the proposed bill which should deal with unsafe abortion among girls and women.

The CSJ made the call on Wednesday in Blantyre during a day-long training on sexual and reproductive health for traditional and religious leaders from Blantyre and Chiradzulu as the organization said human rights should be the government's priority for its citizens without discrimination.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202007030447.html


African countries are trying to liberalize their abortion laws. Trump’s ‘global gag rule’ is making that difficult.

African countries are trying to liberalize their abortion laws. Trump’s ‘global gag rule’ is making that difficult.
Activists say the policy has forced some countries to take a step backward

Abigail Higgins
March 5, 2020

In 2016, churches in the small southeastern African country of Malawi did something surprising: They backed a law to expand abortion access.

At the time, Reverend Alex Benson Maulana, chair of the Malawi Council of Churches (MCC), said that abortion was still a sin. But Malawi was also facing a crisis: In a country with one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world, 18 percent of those deaths were due to unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://www.thelily.com/african-countries-are-trying-to-liberalize-their-abortion-laws-trumps-global-gag-rule-is-making-that-difficult/


Abortion bill in Malawi gets a nod from religious leaders

Abortion bill in Malawi gets a nod from religious leaders

Feb 24, 2019
by Emily Banda

As part of the burden of addressing unsafe abortions that are contributing to maternal deaths, Malawi needs to urgently review its archaic abortion law, liberal clerics have said.

The clerics are concerned that 439 women out of every 100,000 die in Malawi due to pregnant-related causes.

Continued: https://csjnews.org/2019/02/24/abortion-bill-malawi-gets-nod/


Malawi: Rural Women Groups in Malawi Back Proposed Abortion Law

Malawi: Rural Women Groups in Malawi Back Proposed Abortion Law

20 July 2018

The statistics are staggering. Over 141,000 women and girls induce abortions unsafely in Malawi with about half of them suffering from complications. AKWETE SANDE writes on how rural SRHR women groups are supporting the enactment of the proposed Termination of Pregnancy Bill.

Mention the word abortion and the reactions you get are diverse. For some emotions run high. For others, religious dogma creeps in. And for some, facts do no matter. Usually, truth suffers.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/201807200158.html