•They said the government should ‘fully’ legalize safe abortion as a way of reducing the mortality rates among women who need such services.
•Ochieng' said access to abortion in Kenya had been shrouded by myths that have made women not to access safe abortion services.
Image: GEORGE OWITI
Rights groups have decried what they termed increased mortality rates in the country resulting from unsafe abortions.
The sexual health rights lobby organisations on Wednesday attributed the problem to backward policies, stigma and politics surrounding safe abortion in the country.
They include Trust For Indigenous Culture and Health (TICAH) and Women Collective Kenya.
They said the government should ‘fully’ legalise safe abortion as a way of reducing the mortality rates among women who need such services.
“Stigma associated with access to abortion has made people not access these services and as a result of that, there has been an increase in complication deaths associated with unsafe abortions,” TICAH programmes manager Gordon Ochieng’ said.
Ochieng’ spoke to the Star during a Women Collective Kenya’s hall meeting at Huruma estate in Mathare, Nairobi County.
“These community conversations aim to ensure that we reduce maternal mortalities and morbidities related to unsafe abortion,” Ochieng’ said.
Ochieng' said access to abortion in Kenya had been shrouded by myths that have made women not to access safe abortion services.
“In terms of policies, people look at abortion access in Kenya as not permitted even though the Constitution of Kenya – 2010 Article 26 (4) provides for circumstances under which abortion is permitted in the country,” Ochieng’ said.
Ochieng’ said many Kenyans weren’t aware of that fact; the law allows for safe abortions.
“When people aren’t able to translate and interpret the Constitution progressively, then we see even service providers not able to ensure that women access these services,” he added.
He acknowledged that other than unsafe abortions, there are other causes of maternal mortalities and morbidities.
Ochieng’ said the most difficult topic even to policymakers is the fact that abortion has faced lots of challenges including stigmatisation, misinformation and disinformation.
He said people view the word abortion in relation to moral values.
“In the opinion of a trained health provider, there will be circumstances that a health provider will dim it right for safe abortion to happen. These include; in the eventuality that life of the mother is in danger or case of emergency, or if there is any other law that has provided the same,” Ochieng’ said.
Ochieng’ said the stated circumstances were genuine and legitimate avenues where access to safe abortion can be provided.
He said the government had post-abortion care guidelines.
Nairobi woman representative Esther Passaris lauded the organisations for championing sexual health rights including safe abortion, especially among the girl child and women in the country.
“It’s fit to have these conversations on safe abortion and contraceptives. People think we don’t love God, we don’t believe in God or we are being sinners. But, I want them to know that Christ died for the sinners. So, if they are good and we are sinners, then God died for us,” Passaris said.
“We know spirituality and that if God is love, then he doesn’t want young girls to suffer, children that can’t be brought up with love and by those who don’t want to help those children,” Passaris said.
Passaris said women need to have custody and ownership of their wombs adding that they are the ones to decide what to do with their bodies.
She told women to have children at the right time when they need and can raise them.
Passaris warned women against procuring unsafe abortions that expose their lives to danger.
“We spend about Sh1 billion on post-abortion care as a country. So, wouldn’t it be better to make sure that all girls who are having sex are put on family planning?” she posed.
She said safe abortion should be fully legalised to avoid deaths resulting from unsafe abortions.
Woman Collective Kenya’s Neddy Odwuor said as a human rights organisation, they were advocating for Reproductive Health and property rights among other issues.
“We are passionate about women's rights at the grassroots and raising their voices. It’s important for vulnerable and marginalised women in communities to have safe spaces,” Odwuor said.
She said the key to their work was the Constitution since it anchors our rights.
“We use the Constitution and our advocacy to push forward any progressive rights that will allow for care after abortion," she said.
She said the aim is to ensure that sexual health and reproductive rights are accessible to all women.
Odwuor further noted that they aim to ensure that the work that the rights as provided for in the are not watered down.