Mzuzu University student, Natasha Rashid has advocated for the legalization of abortion in Malawi, citing the reality that despite its illegality, women continue to undergo unsafe abortions in secret, putting their lives and health at risk.
Rashid made these remarks on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at Mzuzu University, where students engaged in a debate organized by the Malawi Sexual Reproductive Health Rights Alliance, on the theme “Legalizing Abortion in Malawi is Essential to Protect Women’s Health and Rights.”
She further emphasized that abortion should be legalized due to various circumstances that compel women to consider the option, such as serious health conditions that put a woman’s life at risk during pregnancy.
She expressed her stance, stating that abortion should be legalized to allow individuals to safely access medical assistance at hospitals without fear or stigma.
Addressing the campus scenario, Rashid acknowledged that while some may deny it, abortions are indeed occurring daily but often unsafely due to legal restrictions prohibiting women from accessing abortion services.
She noted that despite these restrictions, students are still engaging in unprotected sex, leading to unintended pregnancies and, subsequently, secret abortions.
She also emphasized that this reality puts students’ lives at risk, and therefore, legalizing abortion would ultimately protect their lives and well-being.
In his remarks, Bishop Amos Chuma, a board member of the Religious Network for Choice, revealed that they are engaging students from various universities across Malawi to raise awareness about the issue of unsafe abortions in the country.
Citing a 2009 study by the Ministry of Health, he noted that approximately 74,000 women underwent unsafe abortions that year, resulting in many requiring post-abortion care at hospitals in Malawi.
Bishop Chuma further talked about the Termination Pregnancy Bill, which suggests three scenarios for legal termination link when the pregnancy is a result of rape or incest, if the life of the mother is in danger, and when there is a severe malformation of the foetus.
Meanwhile, women in Malawi are allowed to abort when the life of the mother is in danger.
