Namibia’s law states that abortion is legal in cases of rape, incest, or where continuing the pregnancy would threaten the mental or physical health of the mother, or the life of the mother or foetus.
The Maputo Protocol, which should form part of Namibia’s domestic law, says the same thing. It also says that African women have the right to choose how many children they have, when they have them, and how much space there is between their children.
But what’s the situation on the ground?
We know that high levels of sexual and gender based violence (SGBV), a lack of comprehensive sex education (CSE) and patchy access to contraceptives lead to to many unwanted pregnancies. Many of those pregnancies would likely meet the requirements for a ‘legal’ abortion. But very few abortions are performed in state hospitals and clinics every year.
Sister Namibia, with the support of Equality Now, has created a fact sheet that tells you who is eligible for an abortion, the complicated steps needed to get one, and what you can do if you are denied your right to reproductive healthcare. This fact sheet, in English and Oshindonga, is designed to give you and your community the information they need to claim the rights that have been promised by our government.
We hope it helps!
- The Sister Namibia Team
