World Abortion Day: a fight for freedom of choice
September 28 marks World Right to Termination of Pregnancy (Abortion) Day, an opportunity to recall the importance of this fundamental right for women around the world. Despite legislative progress in recent decades, access to abortion remains a controversial subject in many countries.
The figures are alarming: more than 9 million abortions are performed each year in Africa, the majority of them in unsafe and unsafe conditions. Although some countries have relaxed their laws, many nations remain restrictive regarding abortion.
In Tunisia, a pioneer country in this area, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the legalization of abortion. However, despite this progress, many obstacles persist, such as the shortage of medicines and social conservatism within the medical profession.
Other African countries, such as South Africa, Mozambique, Cape Verde and Benin, allow unrestricted access to abortion. However, many countries remain restrictive, only allowing abortion in exceptional cases such as the risk of death of the mother, rape or incest.
It is important to emphasize that the ban on abortion does not have the effect of reducing the number of abortions, but pushes women to carry out clandestine abortions, thus putting their lives in danger. Indeed, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights, in Madagascar alone, there are around 75,000 clandestine abortions each year.
In certain countries where abortion is still completely prohibited, such as Senegal, Mauritania, Egypt, Madagascar or Congo-Brazzaville, women find themselves confronted with clandestine and dangerous abortions. These practices, often carried out by unqualified people, expose women to risks of sterility, infections and even death.
It is therefore essential to promote safe and legal access to abortion throughout the world, in order to guarantee women the right to decide over their own bodies and their own lives. Steps must be taken to raise awareness and educate people about the risks of illegal abortions, and to provide safe and accessible medical services to all women who need them.
On this World Abortion Day, we must continue to make our voices heard, support women in their fight for freedom of choice and reaffirm that access to abortion is a fundamental right of every woman .