By Dean Chisambo
After Parliament failed to debate the termination of pregnancy bill,the
Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have said they want court determination on the issue of unsafe abortion which is impacting the right to health for women and girls in the country.
Centre for Human rights and Rehabilitation (CHRR) Executive Director Micheal Kaiyatsa says there are many deaths as a result of unsafe abortion and that many women and girls continue to access unsafe abortion in communities where they live.
Kayitsa suggests that if they allow the situation to continue the country will be left behind in terms of maternal health.
On his part, Nyali Institute Executives Dr Godfrey Kangaude says sexual and reproductive health issues are impacted by structural and economic factor that makes women and girls fail to keep their pregnancies when their partners run away from the responsibility which result in unsafe abortion due to lack of access to safe abortion services.
He adds that social and reproductive justice approach looks on systematic and structural factor rather than just looking at individual right to access to safe abortion service.
He says they will have a dialogue with the executive, the faith leaders, traditional leaders, the communities and the ministry of health to map the way forward on the issue of unsafe abortion.
He further says as a country, there is a need to liberate the legislative framework to allow, because most of the issues are really tragic and traumatic that are happening to girls and women who are using unsafe abortion methods to access safe abortion services.
He also suggest that there is a need of more stakeholders engagement to see what is the root causes of the problem and how best they can address the issue of unsafe abortion to women and girls in this country.
The civil Society organisation have been championed on issues of reproductive health rights particularly focusing on unsafe abortion through pushing the Parliament to tabling the termination of pregnancy bill but doesn’t made it to Parliament for discussion.
