We Demand Safe, Legal and Equal Access To Abortion Services and Post Abortion Care For All Women
-In Memory of Maureen Achieng-
One in 7 women die each day in Kenya due to unsafe abortion while over 21,000 are hospitalized. Unsafe abortion costs our country around half a billion shillings every year in direct hospital costs. It costs Kshs. 20,000 for women to undergo safe abortion. 30 % of maternal deaths in Kenya are as a result of unsafe abortion. Children of mothers who undergo unsafe abortion are more likely to die in two years.
These are the grim statistics underlying the growing and enduring problem we face in Kenya. Unsafe abortion is a product of poverty, archaic and bad laws, criminalization and societal attitudes. Safe termination of pregnancy is basic healthcare and is a human right. Yet our government continues to deny poor women access to safe termination of pregnancies by creating legal, regulatory and other barriers, and by neglecting to take pro-active steps to ensure legal, unhindered, equitable, accessible and affordable safe termination of pregnancy and post abortion care.
We condemn and reject the retrogressive and repugnant Family Protection Bill by MP Peter Kaluma which seeks to totally criminalize safe termination of pregnancy, and constitutes an attempt to control the bodies of women and undermine their right bodily autonomy. We also reject provisions of the Nairobi City County Finance Bill 2023 which seeks to introduce charges on post abortion care and contraceptive services.
On this International Safe Abortion Day, we mourn Maureen Achieng ,30, a sex worker who died while procuring an unsafe abortion, leaving behind 3 orphaned children. Maureen is a victim of bad laws, poverty and neglect by the government. Her death would have been easily preventable had she had access to safe, affordable and legal termination of pregnancy. In death, Maureen faces stigma and rejection due to her profession and the circumstances of her death. We refuse to let Maureen be shamed in death. We have come together with like-minded members of the community to honor Maureen and to highlight the plight of millions of women and girls like her.
Signed and Endorsed by:
⦁ Women Collective Kenya (WCK)
