Debates on abortion have been prevalent around the world for many decades. As legislative officials have backed their decisions to uphold or prevent it from happening in their respective nations, the issue does not appear to have reached a consensus worldwide. One such nation that has made efforts to decriminalize abortion after years of women’s gynecological struggles is Sierra Leone, looking to expand opportunities for the females of its country. By signing a pro-abortion bill into law in the past five years, they have successfully added a new level of reform to their status, finding an impactful way to aid a marginalized group during a time of massive continental distress.
Ministers of the country have taken a colossal step in the consideration of women’s health and welfare, backing a bill on “risk-free” motherhood, which would then expand access to abortion in a country where terminations are only permitted when a mother’s life is on the line. Coalitions of women’s rights groups had been fighting for the bill for years, and it was to be eventually submitted to Parliament. A significant influence on the decision of this bill comes from “a time where sexual and reproductive health rights for women are either being overturned or threatened.” This was stated by President Julius Maada Bio, making references to the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion. This action has drawn criticism around the world, prompting observing nations to think about the fundamental rights of their people.
The second country to decriminalize abortion in West Africa, Sierra Leone could be responsible for improving the safety of pregnant women, reducing the number of preventable deaths, and bringing the current colonial-era law to an end. Many thousands of women and young girls have attempted to self-terminate their pregnancies every year within the nation, in an attempt to no longer be carrying a child, but also to not be subject to an abortion case. Unsafe abortions account for around 10% of maternal deaths. Healthcare workers are known to perform abortion-like procedures on patients in need, and find themselves needing to lie about the reasons why they felt the need to perform the terminations. Many girls have resorted to unsafe methods such as expired medication, laundry detergent, hangers, or sharp instruments in efforts to stop their pregnancies.
Sierra Leone has the highest maternal mortality rate in the world. In 2016, after the parliament adopted a law on safe abortion, the then-president refused to sign it. President Maada Bio made his declaration at the end of Sierra Leone’s annual African Conference on Sexual Health and Rights, making it a goal to build understanding and prioritize ending sexual violence against women and young girls.By enacting this bill, lawmakers would permit the use of contraceptives up until 14 weeks of gestation, right behind Benin, a nation that lifted many restrictions on abortion in 2021. However, the bill has been combatted by religious leaders, pushing for it to allow abortions solely in cases of rape incest, or fatal/fetal abnormalities. Only time will tell the long-term effect this bill will have on the future of Sierra Leone’s dispute with abortion, and of the futures of millions of women who live there.
Written by Alexandra Kwitkowski
