Women civil societies and youths with disabilities have petitioned Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to immediately lift the suspension placed on the Lagos State Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications 15days ago.
They argued that the suspension placed on the guideline will do more harm to women and their pregnancies than good stressing that it has “pushed the state back to the sufferings our women went through pre-independence period.”
The women groups spoke yesterday at a media briefing held under the aegis of Women Advocates Research and Documentation Centre (WARDC) at De Rembrandt Hotel, Obafemi Awolowo Way, Alawusa, Ikeja.
Addressing delegates at the event, Executive Director, WARDC, Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi accused religious and cultural organisations and persons with philosophical convictions of weeping up sentiments and kicking against the working documents developed over four years of painstaking work.
“We believe that the state government is being blackmailed by religious sentiments. Women have a right to their bodily integrity and to life. What the guideline is pushing is for us to save women from a good preventable death. The ban on the State Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications should immediately be lifted”, she stated.
According to Dr. Akiyode- Afolabi, several international organisations such as World Health Organisation (WHO), International Federation of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians, Amnesty International, United Nations and Royal College of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians among others have repeatedly issued guidelines to indicate that women have a right to decide on whether or not to have an abortion. Continue Reading
