Buhlebenkosi Nkomo
Harare – The Women’s Academy for Leadership and Political Excellence (WALPE) has called on Zimbabwe’s Parliament to urgently reform restrictive reproductive health laws, including the 1977 Termination of Pregnancy Act, and to pass the Medical Services Amendment Bill to expand safe access to reproductive healthcare.
In a statement released this week, WALPE argued that Zimbabwe’s current legal framework places unnecessary barriers on people seeking reproductive health services and that “autonomy over one’s body should be a fundamental right, free from heavy regulations and bureaucratic hurdles.”
WALPE highlighted international evidence showing that liberalised abortion laws linked with accessible public health services improve safety and save lives. “Sixty countries have liberalised their abortion laws,” the organisation said, adding that “where abortion is legal and integrated into public health systems, it is significantly safer.”
The organisation pointed to South Africa, where abortion was legalised in 1996, noting a marked decline in deaths and injuries from unsafe procedures. It also referenced Tunisia, one of the first African countries to legalise abortion on request, which has seen reductions in harms associated with clandestine abortions.
WALPE underscored that restrictive laws do not eliminate abortion; “they only make it unsafe,” citing global findings, including from the World Health Organization, that unsafe abortion remains a significant contributor to maternal mortality in countries with restrictive legal regimes.
WALPE maintained that modernising Zimbabwe’s law would align it with constitutional guarantees of dignity, equality and access to healthcare. It clarified that reform does not equate to unrestricted abortion, but would establish responsible, regulated access, particularly in early pregnancy and circumstances affecting health and well‑being, while removing unnecessary administrative obstacles.
Defining bodily autonomy as “the fundamental human right to make decisions about one’s body, life and future without coercion, violence or third‑party control,” WALPE said the current law undermines this principle.
Beyond abortion law reform, WALPE urged stronger accountability for sexual abuse and expanded access to safe services for vulnerable and marginalised groups. The organisation called on leaders across sectors including male political and religious figures to avoid imposing decisions on young women and girls, particularly those impregnated through abuse.
“The debate must centre on the interests, health and dignity of women and girls, guided by evidence, compassion and constitutional fidelity,” WALPE said, warning against stigma, ideology or political expediency shaping reproductive health policy.
WALPE also urged lawmakers to reconsider proposals on abortion on demand, emphasising that “no one must be forced to be a mother when they are not ready or circumstances are not befitting.”
