People’s Alliance for Reproductive Health Advocation (PARHA), a coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) advocating for the rights of women and girls, has on Wednesday July 8, 2020, called for reformation of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) laws in the country.
Speaking on behalf of the Coalition, the President of L.A.W.Y.E.R.S, Fatmata Sorie told a news conference in Freetown that, Sierra Leone is a party to many international treaties and conventions on human and women rights particularly those relating to safe and reproductive health rights.
The purpose of the press conference is to apprise the public of activities undertaken and progress made so far in improving the Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights (SRHR) of women and girls in Sierra Leone.
She said that their advocacy on law reform goes far back in 2005, when the country signed the Maputo Protocol, Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa and other international treaties that the country has signed. She stated that the Maputo Protocol made provision for safe medical abortion in instances of rape, incest and when the fetus or life of the women is threatened.
She explained that in 2015, they tried to change the status quo, noting that they missed an opportunity to reform the sexual reproductive law on abortion bill due to massive opposition from religious leaders leading to the failure of the bill in parliament. She said that the name of the bill was a problem, but they highlighted all the factors that led to it failure.
“We have seeing cases of incest and rape in our society leading to pregnancy,” she said. “Should we allow those pregnant women to give birth to the babe? How can we call the babe? What are the social implications? What are the cultural implications? Shall we not provide a law that makes provision were the victims have decision to make whether to keep it or not?”
She disclosed that when that abortion bill failed, engagement still continues. She expressed optimism that PARHA will provide the leadership in pushing for a Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Bill.
She explained that ratification of the Maputo protocol has taken 12 years, but effort created to domesticate it is still pending, adding that they want the domestication of those areas were the sexual and reproductive health are in the protocol. She said that they want sexual and reproductive laws become law in the country.
She added that the Offenses Against a Persons Act 1861 is a reason why they are advocating for law reforms because it is this Act that prohibits the rights to access medical abortion.
The Programme and Operations Director of Mariestopes Sierra Leone, Mrs Emerica King disclosed, “A study conducted in 2011 that reviewed Post Abortion Care (PAC) data from 19 government hospitals in Sierra Leone reported that 3, 379 women were treated for abortion complications in the hospitals. Nationally the number of women seeking care for post abortion care after an unsafe abortion is estimated in excess of 10, 000.”
She added that they provided 16, 000 PAC services in 2015 alone, adding that in 2019, their services averted an estimate of 204, 000 unintended pregnancies, 102, 000 unsafe abortions, and 1, 700 maternal deaths.
She stated that on December 8, 2015, the Parliament passed the Safe Abortion Bill into although it was not signed by the then President Ernest Bai Koroma, but sent back to the drawing board. She noted that joint advocacy with likeminded organisations in producing positive gains as they are trying to change the very women and girls to making their own choices.
The Coalition comprises over 50 organisations in the country, including Center for Accountability and Rule of Law (CARL), Marie Stopes Sierra Leone, Rainbo Initiative, Legal Access through Women Learning for Equality Rights and Social Justice (L.A.W.Y.E.R.S), Planned Parenthood Association of Sierra Leone (PPASL), Faith Based Organisations, and community-based organization, among others.
By Stephen V. Lansana
10/07/2020. ISSUE NO.: 7863