Unpredictable Times: Unjust Laws, Policies & Women's Rights

Photo by Vitaly

Access to Safe Abortion is necessary to save the lives of women and for women to exercise their human rights. But around the world including

the African region, abortion continues to remain

restricted, clandestine, stigmatized and unsafe for thousands of women. In spite the Sustainable Development Goals agreed by the world’s governments at the United Nations in September 2015, which include a target of universal access to sexual and reproductive healthcare, and the regional such as Maputo Protocol, and the Maputo Plan of Action on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, abortion is still restricted by law .Major forces that will heighten challenges that affect women adversely . Recently there is the roll back of Roe Vs Wade judgement and suspension of the Lagos State Guideline on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications etc .

These roll backs will have symbolic impact on women’s lives and organizations working on Safe Abortion. As we know, United States of America is an important player in the international arena, repealing

Roe Vs Wade is a strong set back. The African region looks up

to the

international

communities for guidance and this strategy of using the courts to limit abortion rights can spread across our countries.

In addition , this shows a complete disregard for international human rights standards and science that should be the tenets of abortion, it also empowers, funds, and emboldens opposition and religious fundamentalists who have always sought to control reproduction by means of controlling women in our countries. This is the statues quo that will negatively affect the funding landscape The decision to have an abortion is a decision rooted in compassion, in love, in self-worth, in a belief, and optimism for the future.

On this occasion of International Day Of Safe and Legal Abortion ,we must mobilize to resist and end oppressive or unjust laws and inequality. To progress, access to women’s reproductive health including safe and legal abortion must be recognized as a human right. Human rights belong to all simply because they are human beings. The reproductive and sexual health rights of women are grounded in the twelve core International Human Rights’ Instruments which include: the right to participation, right to health, right to choice, right to life, right to freedom of thought , right to privacy, right to information and education, right to choose whether or not to marry and to found and plan a family , right to decide whether or when to have children, right to health care and health protection, right to the basic scientific progress , right to freedom of assembly, right to be free from torture and ill treatment and right to equality and to be free from all forms of discrimination. Any violation of these rights is infringing on the Fundamental Human Rights of Women