Prohibition Of Abortion In Nigeria, A Reflection Of The Repression Of Women’s Rights: Lessons From South Africa
- IJLLR Journal
- 1 day ago
- 2 min read
Lilian O. Akhirome - Omonfuegbe, Ph.D, Public Law Department, Benson Idahosa University, Benin- City, Edo State, Nigeria
Esohe U. Oyemwense, Ph.D, Public Law Department, Benson Idahosa University, Benin- City, Edo State, Nigeria
ABSTRACT
The concept of Reproductive health and rights has been a global discourse for decades, albeit the arising controversies surrounding the subject, it managed to break through the status quo and gain universal recognition as far back as 1994 specifically at the International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo Egypt. This platform gave reproductive rights universal status. One of the core arguments of Reproductive Rights is the right of a woman to body autonomy which invariably translate to her ability to make safe decisions on timing of childbearing and the spacing of children as well as the right to safely decide whether or not to have children. This right is borne from the obvious fact that the woman bears the brunt of childbearing and raising the child. The implicit complications arising from juggling family life, career and or education can be tasking and often overbearing and, in many cases, deter the woman from realizing her full potential- which is paramount for the overall enjoyment of Reproductive Rights. This paper adopts the doctrinal methodology and criticizes Nigeria’s legal prohibition of abortion as well as highlighting the provisions of South Africa’s Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, 1996 (CTOPA) which provides legal guidelines regulating the practice of safe abortion. This paper finds that the outright prohibition of Abortion in Nigeria is responsible for the upsurge of illegal and unsafe abortions thus exacerbating maternal mortality and concludes that laws are required to safe guard and permit safe abortions where necessary while seeking to promote and enforce women’s reproductive rights through intense education and enlightenment especially at grass root level.
