Backyard Abortions: Zimbabwe’s Silent Pandemic

By Lovejoy Mutongwiza
Oct 20, 2021

The
COVID-19 pandemic which brought about lockdown restrictions has further
restricted women and girls’ access to safe abortion services in traditionally
marginalized communities in Zimbabwe.

With COVID-19
restrictions, obtaining the necessary appointments and documents to access
health facilities has become a nightmare, especially for women in poor areas
and this has aided the need for most women and girls who fell pregnant,
unintentionally or otherwise, to Nicodemusly seek the termination of
pregnancies.

Continued: https://www.263chat.com/backyard-abortions-zimbabwes-silent-pandemic/


Zimbabwe: Push to Review Abortion Legislation

27 SEPTEMBER 2021
The Herald (Harare)
By Edinah Masiyiwa

Two bodies of newly born babies were found in a bin in Harare, recently.

Because of the lack of accessible contraceptives during Covid-19, 5 000 girls were reported to have fallen pregnant in January alone, and sadly, the abandonment of unwanted babies is one of the outcomes.

Unsafe abortions are another. The reality is, this could just be a tip of the iceberg of what is happening to women and girls as a result of their inability to access contraceptives.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202109270217.html


Zimbabwe – Inside Harare’s ghastly abortion ‘clinics’ …60 000 illegal terminations a year

Inside Harare’s ghastly abortion ‘clinics’ …60 000 illegal terminations a year

26 January 2020
Emmanuel Kafe, Investigations Reporter

Syndicates operating illegal backyard abortion “clinics” are using knitting needles, spoons, dishwashing liquid, dangerous pills and assorted concoctions to terminate pregnancies of young, vulnerable and scared women.

An abortion is the medical process of ending a pregnancy so that it does not result in the birth of a baby. Some of these terminations fail, thereby posing serious health risks to those that attempt to abort.

Continued: https://www.sundaymail.co.zw/inside-harares-ghastly-abortion-clinics-60-000-illegal-terminations-a-year


The Zimbabwe Herald publishes a series of articles on abortion, homosexuality and condoms to prevent HIV

The Zimbabwe Herald publishes a series of articles on abortion, homosexuality and condoms to prevent HIV
by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
June 23, 2017

In a series of three articles, the Zimbabwe Herald has reported widely differing views on the subject of abortion as an issue for Zimbabwe’s parliament, as a public health issue, as an issue of religion and morality, and as a source of suffering for women.

The first article was prompted by Hon Dr Ruth Labode, MP for Matabeleland North province and chairwoman of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care, calling for safe abortions to be allowed for unwanted pregnancies, in response to findings that 16% of maternal deaths in Zimbabwe were due to unsafe abortions and over half the deaths were among adolescents. According to the 2016 national adolescent fertility study, 9% of adolescents aged 10 to 19 years have ever been pregnant, the majority of whom were from rural areas. Dr Labode criticised government policy for only allowing post-abortion care as a “corrective procedure” when abortions could be made safe in the first place, as in other countries.

Continued at source: International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/the-zimbabwe-herald-publishes-a-series-of-articles-on-abortion-condoms-to-prevent-hiv-and-homosexuality/


Zimbabwe: MPs clash on abortion policy

LATEST: MPs clash on abortion policy
June 12, 2017

Paidamoyo Chipunza Senior Health Reporter

Some members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Health and Child Care are pushing for legislation on abortion amid revelations that 16 percent of maternal deaths were due to unsafe abortions, with over half of the deaths occurring among adolescents.

According to the 2016 national adolescent fertility study, nine percent of adolescents between 10 and 19 years had ever been pregnant, majority of whom were girls from rural areas.

Speaking during the parliamentarian’s advocacy workshop on HIV and Aids in Gweru recently chairperson of the Health and Child Care portfolio committee Dr Ruth Labode, who is also legislator for Matabeleland North province, said given the above statistics, it was only fair to allow safe abortions in unwanted pregnancies.

Continued at link: The Herald: http://www.herald.co.zw/latest-mps-clash-on-abortion-policy/