The Founder/CEO of Global Media Foundation, human rights media advocacy organization, Raphael Godlove Ahenu Jr. has called on CSOs across Africa to join the “International Campaign for Women’s Rights to Safe Abortion” to demand their governments to decriminalize abortion, to provide access to safe and affordable abortion services to women who need it.
This, according to him, this will help save lives of millions of women who dead in the name of unsafe abortion.
Mr. Ahenu Jr. was addressing Chiefs and people of Awisa at a Community durbar to commemorate this year’s Global Action Day for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion in the Wenchi Municipality in the Brong-Ahafo region of Ghana.
The September 28 Day of Actionfor Access to Safe and Legal Abortion has its origin in Latin America and the Caribbean where women’s groups have been mobilizing around September 28 the last two decades to demand their governments to decriminalize abortion.
In 2011, Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights took September 28 to the global level in solidarity with the women’s movement in Latin America and in recognition of the fact that that access to safe and legal abortion continues being denied for too many women in too many countries.
In 2012, the Day receives a global recognition and is being collectively commemorated across the globe.
The durbar which was sponsored by Safe Abortion Fund was attended by more than 200 people including the Chief of the Awisa, Nana Takyi Boateng.
According to the CEO, although Ghana’s abortion law is considered relatively liberal, the criminalization of abortion, coupled with traditional values, social perceptions and religious teachings, has created a situation where quacks and charlatans carry out abortion in clandestine and dangerous ways.
Mr. Ahenu Junior observed that over the years, Ghana’s reproductive health policy on the reduction of unsafe abortion only dwelt on the promotion of family planning, contraception and post-abortion care, not the provision of safe abortion within the confines of the law, as recommended by the World Health Organisation.
He therefore called on government to take a second look at the abortion law in the country and review it to make safe abortion more access to women.
The Chief of Awisa, Nana Takyi Boateng called on his fellow traditional leaders to promote women’s reproductive rights in the country to help reduce teenage pregnancy and unsafe abortion.
Nana Boateng urged parents who encourage their teenage girls to go out in the evening stop the practice and rather encourage girls to concentrate on their education which will guarantee them a better future.
A similar durbar was organized at Droboso and Subinso Number two all in the Wenchi Municipality.
This article has 0 comment, leave your comment.