28 September 2024 marks the Global Day of Action for access to safe and legal abortion.
The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR), through its Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa (SRRWA), in partnership with the undersigned Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) under the banner of the Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) Coalition, reaffirm our unwavering dedication to safeguarding women's rights to access safe and legal abortion.
An array of global geopolitical, socio-economic, and public health challenges has defined 2024. From ongoing conflicts in the Middle East to wars in Russia and Ukraine and civil unrest in countries like Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, these crises have reverberated across Africa, leading to soaring inflation rates and a sharp rise in the cost of living, disproportionately impacting the accessibility of Sexual Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) services for women and girls.
This year has also seen a surge in anti-rights movements around SRHR, with increasing legal restrictions, disinformation campaigns, and conservative pushbacks on reproductive autonomy across several African nations. Such trends threaten decades of progress in gender equality and reproductive health. Compounded by inadequate funding and weak implementation of existing protocols, these challenges create additional barriers for women and girls to accessing safe abortion services.
In the face of the global cost of living crisis, we cannot afford to further marginalize women and girls in accessing essential services. It is imperative that we urgently address the cost-of-living crisis gripping our nations by ensuring universal access to basic healthcare services, with emphasis on SRHR, irrespective of socio-economic status.
While regional commitments like the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol) have propelled advancements in sexual reproductive health rights, challenges persist. Some African States have not fully embraced the Protocol's provisions, hindering women's access to safe and legal abortion. At the same time, quite a number have placed reservations on Article 14 of the Protocol that provides for SRHR. Marginalized groups bear the brunt of non-compliance by Member States.
Poverty manifests in multifaceted forms, impacting economic resources, human rights, health, and choices. Comprehensive action is required to achieve the Millennium Development Goals, especially in improving maternal health and reducing mortality rates. Unsafe abortions disproportionately affect marginalized populations, highlighting the critical need for accessible sexual and reproductive health services.
Ensuring the provision of safe and legal abortion services in all public health facilities across Africa is paramount. Financial barriers often hinder access to these services, particularly for women in poverty, pushing them towards unsafe alternatives. State parties must eliminate economic barriers and uphold women's rights to family planning and safe abortion care services.
Our ongoing advocacy for sexual and reproductive health rights underscores our commitment to shielding women and girls from the perils of unsafe abortion. To achieve this, we advocate for the following actions:
- All Member States are urged to establish laws and policies and allocate resources that facilitate affordable, accessible, and safe abortion, aligning with Articles 2 and 14 (2) of the Maputo Protocol and lifting any reservations on Article 14 (2).
- We implore all actors, including Judiciaries, Parliaments, National Human Rights Institutions, religious and community leaders, and politicians, to leverage their authority to uphold women's sexual and reproductive health and rights, including access to safe and legal abortion.
- State Parties should ensure the availability, accessibility, and affordability of sexual and reproductive health services, including abortion, for all women and girls, irrespective of their socio-economic status.
- Emphasizing the need to prioritize socio-economic rights, State Parties must enhance women's access to sexual and reproductive services.
- State Parties are urged to engage with all stakeholders through the exchange of information and best practices to ensure that no obstacles impede women's access to safe and legal abortion.
Aligned with these principles, we stand with the global community in advocating for the availability, accessibility, and affordability of safe and legal abortion to advance and champion women's sexual and reproductive health rights.
⮚ Hon. Commissioner Janet Ramatoulie Sallah-Njie, Vice Chairperson and Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Women in Africa (African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights
⮚ Solidarity for African Women’s Rights (SOAWR) Coalition - a Coalition of over 70 organizations working on women’s rights in 33 African countries. SOAWR was formed with the principal objective of advocating for the ratification, domestication, and implementation of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol), adopted 20 years ago.
28 September 2024
