By Ikechukwu Odu
A community-based women group, Obige Obukpa Widows Care Foundation, on Tuesday, advocated for policy support for safe abortion.

The Foundation which said that unsafe abortion has put the health and lives of women at risks, added that out of 35, 000,000 abortions that take place every year, 7,000,000, women face health complications.

These remarks were contained in a paper entitled ‘Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights for Women,’ by a Facilitator, Perpetua Eze, during a two-day enlightenment programme organised for women and girls by the Foundation in collaboration with Women’s Aid Collective, Enugu,
and in partnership with Action Aid, Nigeria, under the Women’s Voice Leadership Project. It equally enjoys the sponsorship of the Global Affairs, Canada.

While delivering the paper, Eze said “Women will always need access to safe abortion. No form of contraception is 100% effective across the world. Laws that govern access to abortion varies from country to country. What varies is that in countries where abortion is more restricted, the number of women dying due to unsafe abortion rises. This shows that rather than reducing the number of abortions taking place, restricting women’s access to abortion results in more women seeking unsafe, in some cases, fatal services instead.

” Unsafe abortion puts the health and lives of women at risk. Currently, almost half of all abortions that take place worldwide are unsafe: an estimated 35 million each year. As a result, 7,000,000 women face health complications, and over 22,800 lose their lives.

” But it is not just legal restrictions that force women to turn to unsafe abortion. Harmful cultural Norms, lack of accurate access to information, and inaccessible or poorly funded reproductive healthcare services, contribute to women seeking abortion that is not safe.

“If we are to end unsafe abortions for good, we must ensure that women’s access to safe abortion is not only supported by policy, but that it is de-stigmatized,” she said.

She equally explained that fulfillment of sexual rights include: rights to equality and non- discrimination; right to be free from torture, and other inhuman or degrading treatment; right to decide the number and spacing of children, among others.

Some of the participants who spoke to newsmen said the enlightenment programme would help them to take better care of their reproductive health.
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Photo: The Facilitator, Perpetua Eze, enlightening members of Obige Obukpa Widows Care Foundation on their reproductive health and rights at Obukpa, Nsukka Local Government Area of Enugu State, Tuesday.