Faith, sorrow and rebirth: A quest for bodily autonomy

April 17, 2025
Dr. Michée Kanda, Health System Officer, Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo

In the Democratic Republic of Congo, access to comprehensive abortion care remains a taboo topic, enshrined in restrictive legal frameworks and rigid social norms. Although some progress has been made, cultural and religious barriers still prevent women and girls from accessing the information and care they need.

While safe medical solutions exist, their access is hampered by fear, lack of information and social rejection. In the absence of alternatives, many resort to dangerous methods or fall into depression, sometimes with tragic consequences such as suicide.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/faith-sorrow-and-rebirth-a-quest-for-bodily-autonomy/

17.04.2025

News

bodily autonomy

Dr. Mboma

Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo

Kintambo Center of Excellence

Michée Kanda

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

DRC – Dr. Jean-Claude Mulunda: Breaking the silence on the need for safe abortion care in humanitarian settings

IPAS
Feb 28, 2025

Early in his career, Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) director Dr. Jean-Claude Mulunda, then a coordinator with a refugee agency, was confronted with the plight of women and girls who had suffered sexual violence fleeing Central African Republic for refuge in DRC.

“In my report to the supervisor, I noted that over 60% of the women and girls were rape victims. Many of them, including little girls who could not be more than 12, were pregnant. They were also dealing with sexually transmitted infections and malnutrition,” he explains.

Continued; https://www.ipas.org/news/drc-safe-abortion-care-in-humanitarian-settings/

DRC – Stakeholder perceptions of midwife-led, woman-centered comprehensive abortion care in Kinshasa

Habygaelle Muzie, Communications Advisor, Ipas DRC
December 5, 2024

We are delighted to announce the publication of a scientific paper developed by Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in collaboration with the Professional Association of Congolese Midwives (SCOSAF) and Karolinska Institute, with funding from SIDA.

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), morbidity and mortality resulting from unsafe abortions are alarmingly high. However, the recent ratification of the Maputo Protocol in 2018 has made safe abortion accessible. National implementation strategies recognize midwives as providers of comprehensive abortion care (CAC), yet there is little understanding of their current role in its provision.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/stakeholder-perceptions-of-midwife-led-woman-centered-comprehensive-abortion-care/

05.12.2024

midwives and abortion

Professional Association of Congolese Midwives

safe abortion

SCOSAF

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Ipas DRC and Canada partner for sustainable access to reproductive health care in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Access to safe and legal abortion and contraception improves the health of women and girls and represents a fundamental human right. The ability to decide if and when to become pregnant is a symbol of reproductive justice and gender equality.

HABYGAELLE MUZIE, Communications Advisor
APRIL 15, 2024

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the publication of the Maputo Protocol in the official gazette has been followed by other milestones, such as the publication of a circular guaranteeing access to abortion care in line with the Protocol’s indications and the Ministry of Public Health’s adherence in 2020 to the evolving standards and directives relating to the application of the Protocol’s guidelines. All these actions made DRC the first country in French-speaking Africa to have implemented far-reaching changes promoting wider access to abortion care.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/country-impact/ipas-drc-and-canada-partner-for-sustainable-access-to-reproductive-health-care-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo/

Democratic Republic of Congo: At the forefront of the fight against gender-based violence

MONDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2023
HABYGAELLE MUZIE, Communications Advisor, Ipas

No matter the cause, humanitarian crises often mean an increase in sexual and reproductive health needs—yet access to safe abortion remains one of the most forgotten of those needs. Ipas Democratic Republic of Congo is making sure that access to abortion is included in humanitarian aid response to the devastating armed conflict in North Kivu.

North Kivu is in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), an area marked by extremely violent conflict. Despite all diplomatic efforts, clashes between Congolese troops and an armed rebel group have displaced thousands of people who have been forced to flee their homes to take refuge in makeshift camps. This instability has led to the complete collapse of the health system and contributed to a precarious health situation—with women, girls and children being the most affected.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/country-impact/ipas-democratic-republic-of-congo-at-the-forefront-of-the-fight-against-gender-based-violence/

04.12.2023

Commentary

Doctors Without Borders

National Reproductive Health Program

sexual and reproductive health

sexual violence

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Health

Human Rights

Government of Canada commits to increasing sexual and reproductive rights including access to abortion services

IPAS
July 21, 2023

Ipas is pleased to announce a partnership with the government of Canada to increase access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health care for women and girls in Bolivia, Indonesia, Nigeria and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The Canadian government has pledged $10 million CAD for programmatic work in Bolivia, Indonesia and Nigeria to increase the sexual and reproductive autonomy of women and girls by expanding their access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and enhancing their ability to make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/government-of-canada-commits-to-increasing-sexual-and-reproductive-rights-including-access-to-abortion-services/

Attitudes towards abortion in the DRC suggest there are ways to overcome stigma

March 15, 2021
Sara E Casey

In the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), restrictive abortion laws, limited medical resources, and high costs – all heightened by two decades of conflict – have led to barriers in access to safe abortion.

Despite the legal restrictions, abortion is common in the DRC although national data are lacking. One study in Kinshasa estimated that 61% of pregnancies in 2016 were unintended, and there was a rate of 56 abortions per 1,000 women between the ages of 15 and 49. An estimated 88% of abortions in Middle Africa are unsafe.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/attitudes-towards-abortion-in-the-drc-suggest-there-are-ways-to-overcome-stigma-156392

15.03.2021

restrictive abortion laws

World Health Organisation

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Health

Human Rights

Unsafe Abortion

Si Jeunesse Savait promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights in DRC

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO – Si Jeunesse Savait promotes sexual and reproductive health and rights in DRC

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
Nov 12, 2019

Gynaecologist Denis Mukwege has highlighted the suffering of women victims of rape in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). But the cruelty of the rapes committed in the context of war must not allow us to forget the daily need for access to reproductive rights.

In Kinshasa, Si Jeunesse Savait (If Youth Knew,SJS) plays an important role in providing young women with reproductive health information and support, in a country where the most basic rights are often not respected. SJS, a partner of the Belgian NGO Le Monde for Women, also offers support to young victims of violence because of their sexual orientation.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/drc-si-jeunesse-savait-promotes-sexual-reproductive-health-rights/

12.11.2019

sexual and reproductive health and rights

Si Jeunesse Savait

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Human Rights

Expanding Access to Safe Abortion in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Expanding Access to Safe Abortion in the Democratic Republic of Congo
Strengthening Evidence-Based Policy to Expand Access to Safe Abortion (SAFE ENGAGE)

Mar 28, 2019

In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), access to safe abortion has historically been limited. Political chaos, a weak health sector, low use of contraception, and restrictive laws—that until recently made it illegal in nearly all cases—have contributed to high rates of abortion across the country. Many of these are unsafe, which contributes to the DRC’s very high maternal mortality rate. However, in March 2018 the Congolese government published the text of the Maputo Protocol in the country’s national legal journal following a concerted advocacy effort by a coalition of women’s rights groups, researchers, and nongovernmental organizations, known as Coalition de Grossesses Non Désirées. Due to the nature of the country’s legal system, this action effectively expanded the categories under which abortion is now legal in DRC.

Continued: https://www.prb.org/program/expanding-access-to-safe-abortion-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo/

28.03.2019

Featured

News

Coalition de Grossesses Non Désirées

Maputo Protocol

maternal mortality

Population Reference Bureau

Safe Engage project

Africa

Democratic Republic of Congo

Unsafe abortion: A forgotten emergency

Unsafe abortion: A forgotten emergency

Mar 7, 2019

Unsafe abortion remains one of the five leading causes of maternal mortality, despite the fact that it is almost always preventable.

More than 22,000 women and girls die each year after having an unsafe abortion, according to a comprehensive report published by the Guttmacher Institute in 2018.

Since 1990 the world has made significant progress to reduce the other main causes of maternal deaths—severe bleeding, severe infection, blood pressure disorders, and obstructed labor—yet there has been little improvement to diminish the dangers of unsafe abortion.

Continued: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/what-we-do/news-stories/story/unsafe-abortion-forgotten-emergency