Although there is no official data on unwanted pregnancies in Benin, activists say women such as Ismail are forced to keep pregnancies because of the inaccessibility to safe abortions. The health ministry estimates that complications from unsafe abortion cause about 20 percent of maternal deaths. Until last week, access to abortion in Benin was legally allowed only if the pregnancy endangered the life of the pregnant woman, was a result of rape, or an incestuous relationship. But in a landmark move on October 20, following a long parliamentary session, the majority of the country’s lawmakers voted to legalise abortion. Lawyer Dele Ahounou said under the new legislation, women are allowed to have an abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy if it is going to cause a material situation, moral distress, affect their education or professional lives.
SOURCE: AL JAZEERA
More Stories
Trends for African Students Seeking Education Abroad
Floods and Landslides Batter Madagascar
Anyone Interested in East Africa’s Dynamic Urbanisation Process should have this Book
Filling the Gap in Locally Grown Techpreneurs
South Africa has Signed an Agreement to Reintroduce Dozens of Cheetahs in India
Enhancing Trust and Security in Digital Africa
Energy Giant Eni Signed an $8 billion Gas Deal with Libya’s State-run National Oil Corporation
Expectations of the Pope’s Visit to Africa
The First Muslim to Helm South Africa’s Biggest Metropolis
The First Africa Vegan Restaurant Week
Lagos Rising: Meet the African Designers Who are Ushering in a New Guard of Fashion
My Life in Food: Idris Elba on African Cuisine and Cooking with his Mum