The need to tinker with existing laws so that victims in situations like rape and incest can be able to legally access abortion so that their life and journey will not be truncated as a result of a situation they didn’t get into willingly was the focus of a day stakeholders engagement held in Ibadan, Oyo State, last Thursday.
It was agreed at the stakeholders’ engagement on reproductive health and rights, organised by a non-governmental body, Reproductive Justice Initiative Foundation, that rape and incest should be permissible conditions to access legal abortion since the law says abortion is only allowed in situations where the woman’s life is threatened.
They argued that rape and incest are life-threatening situations with far-reaching and long-term effects on the victims and, as such, should qualify the victims for access to abortion.
They also asked for enactment of subject-specific laws on sexual and reproductive rights to allow women take the right decisions on their reproductive health legally, as well as domestication of international instruments like the CEDAW and Maputo protocol which Nigeria is a signatory to.
The Reproductive Justice Initiative Foundation is a non-governmental body that serves as a beacon of advocacy and empowerment, dedicated to advancing the principles of reproductive justice for all individuals and committed to dismantling systemic barriers while promoting inclusivity.
Speaking on the objectives of the engagement, themed ‘Reproductive Health and Rights: Revisiting Nigeria’s Law and International Instruments thereof’ which was held at the University of Ibadan Hotels seminar room, a legal practitioner and Executive Director of the foundation, Olasupo Bada, said it was majorly to create a platform to jointly assess the current gap in the enforcement and implementation of Reproductive Health and Rights.
He added that other objectives include identifying the existing legal instruments available to enforce reproductive rights, to identify and discuss opportunities, gaps and approaches to addressing them, identify the effects of unwanted pregnancy on mental health and create new and strength existing approaches for collaboration among stakeholders towards improving the reproductive health and rights of women.
He stated further that it was to develop a common vision statement and work plan that will guide future programmes and efforts toward achieving a sustainable reproductive health and rights in Oyo State.
Aside review of legislation on reproductive rights, the engagement also discussed the issues of respectful maternity care and obstetrics violence and effects of unintended pregnancy on mental health.
The stakeholders’ engagement was part of the foundation’s efforts towards ensuring the achievement of a society free from any form of gender-based violence, especially in terms of reproductive health and rights of women and children via a multifaceted approach that addresses the intersecting issues of class, race and gender.
In her address, Mrs Dupe Awosemusi, a legal practitioner and one of the executives of the foundation, said, “The organisation is focused on ensuring that each individual has the right to make informed and autonomous decisions about their reproductive health, free from discrimination and coercion while protecting against gender violence.
