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

Trump’s Abortion Policy Could Go Global

In this year’s U.S. election, abortion is also a top foreign-policy issue.

By Jodi Enda, the Washington bureau chief and senior correspondent for The Fuller Project.
November 1, 2024

Less than two weeks before his 2020 election defeat, former U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration rolled out a document that purported to promote women’s health and rights while declaring that there was “no international right to abortion.”

“It’s the first time that a multilateral coalition has been built around the issue of defending life,” then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said at a signing ceremony, conducted virtually because of the coronavirus pandemic. Brazil, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, and Uganda joined the United States in sponsoring the nonbinding directive, called the Geneva Consensus Declaration on Promoting Women’s Health and Strengthening the Family. Another 28 countries, many with authoritarian governments that repress women’s rights, signed it.

Continued https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/11/01/trumps-abortion-policy-could-go-global/

Safe abortion in Tanzania: A call for change

Esther Kassanga
Oct 6, 2024

SAFE abortion is not commonly accepted in Tanzanian society, where many cultural norms oppose it. However, have you ever considered the plight of women who become pregnant due to rape? Do they want to carry those pregnancies to term?

Across our communities, various scenarios underscore the urgent need for laws that allow victims, or any woman unable to carry a pregnancy to term, to access safe abortion services without facing judgment or misunderstanding.

Tragically, many deaths in our communities stem from unsafe abortions, often performed by women who are denied access to proper healthcare facilities.

Continued: https://dailynews.co.tz/safe-abortion-in-tanzania-a-call-for-change/

Kenya – Groups push for protection of women’s right to abortion

Monday, September 30, 2024
George Kebaso

Civil society organisations have renewed calls for decriminalising abortion, sounding the alarm that many young girls are dying because they are procuring unsafe abortion from quack doctors.

About 10 organisations congregated at the Riruta stadium in Dagoretti South constituency to commemorate this year’s International Safe Abortion Day and raise awareness about safe abortions.

Continued: https://peopledaily.digital/groups-push-for-protection-of-womens-right-to-abortion/

30.09.2024

News

#abortionsolidarity

International Safe Abortion Day

Tanzania – Abortion Day: Stakeholders call for collective voices for change

By Guardian Reporter , The Guardian
Sep 30 2024

AS the world marks International Safe Abortion Day on September28th, Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights Africa (WGNRR Africa) and its partners have called for collective voices for change so as the nation to get the accesses to rights on safe abortion for women and girls.

WGNRR Africa and its partners met in Dar es Salaam and discuss issues related to the promotion of safe, legal, and accessible abortion services and the advocacy for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and the day carries profound significance in the ongoing struggle for women's rights and the pursuit of gender equality.

Continued: https://www.ippmedia.com/the-guardian/features/read/abortion-day-stakeholders-call-for-collective-voices-for-change-2024-09-30-134705

Malawi: Enact Termination of Pregnancy Bill to Reduce Maternal Morbidity and Mortality

27 September 2024
Centre for Solutions Journalism (Blantyre)

Every year on September 28, Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating the global day of action for access to safe and legal abortion.

As we commemorate this year's International Safe Abortion Day, statistics from medical facilities regarding the number of women and girls experiencing complications from unsafe abortions show that the nation's abortion law, which was passed in the colonial era in 1930, is not only out of date but has also utterly failed to lower the number of unsafe abortions.

Continued: https://allafrica.com/stories/202409270375.html

27.09.2024

News

Centre for Solutions Journalism

International Safe Abortion Day

Maputo Protocol

maternal morbidity

maternal mortality

Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa

Deadly reality of unsafe abortions done in Kenya

An estimated 2,600 Kenyan women die every year from complications due to unsafe abortions. These deaths are entirely preventable.

Tuesday, September 24, 2024
By Kavutha Mutua

A few days ago, I stumbled upon a tweet from a young woman desperately seeking information on how to obtain an abortion at a well-known healthcare facility in Nairobi and how much it would cost.

The responses flooded in, but most of them didn’t point her towards safe, regulated services, Instead, the replies offered cheaper, clandestine alternatives in informal settlements. One particularly chilling reply mentioned a “chwom” – a hidden, makeshift location charging a mere Sh2,000.

Continued: https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/-deadly-reality-of-unsafe-abortions-done-in-kenya--4773900

24.09.2024

Commentary

abortion is a fundamental right

FIDA-Kenya

International Safe Abortion Day

Kavutha Mutua

Maputo Protocol

standard guidelines for safe abortion

Ipas celebrates 21st anniversary of Maputo Protocol with regional conference in Mozambique

Event highlights the importance of collective action to fulfill the protocol’s promise of reproductive rights that include abortion access

August 9, 2024

Marking the 21st anniversary of the landmark Maputo Protocol, which guarantees extensive rights to African women and girls, Ipas hosted a two-day regional conference in Mozambique devoted to exploring the challenges and successes of implementing this fundamental treaty for gender equity.

“We were thrilled to host this conference in honor of the Maputo Protocol, a groundbreaking legal milestone that has been crucial in advancing women’s rights across Africa, including the essential right to safe and legal abortion,” says Jorge Matine, Country Director of Ipas Mozambique. “The passionate engagement by attendees in advancing and safeguarding abortion access across Southern Africa was truly inspiring. It’s a testament to the progress we’ve made and a powerful reminder that we must accelerate our efforts to ensure no woman or girl is left behind.”

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/ipas-celebrates-21st-anniversary-of-maputo-protocol-with-regional-conference-in-mozambique/

Femicide and Reproductive Violence Harm African Women, Girls

Betty Kabari, Researcher, Women's Rights Division - Human Rights Watch
July 31, 2024

International African Women’s Day on July 31 recognizes the contribution of African women toward political, social, and economic freedom on the continent. But gender equality is still not a reality for most African women.

Many countries still have regressive laws, and even the more progressive laws in other countries are often poorly carried out. There is a lack of supportive frameworks to promote and safeguard women and girls’ equality, such as research into rights violations and public education on gender equality and women and girls’ rights.

Continued; https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/31/femicide-and-reproductive-violence-harm-african-women-girls