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The recent events in Kenya surrounding the parliamentary committee's completion of deliberations on a draft constitution -- which defined life as beginning at conception and omitting language that would support everyone's right to reproductive services -- is a major setback for progressive language surrounding the topic of abortions for this country. These actions fail to recognize the value of women and also fail to acknowledge the rights of women in this country while giving rights and protecting the unborn.
I strongly believe that a woman should be able to control her body and have the right to make decisions regarding her personal reproductive health for her own life as well as family. As women practice their right to choose, others must learn to trust and honor their decisions about their bodies and lives. Personal reproductive decisions should be made at the free will of the woman, not governed.
Women in Kenya face great challenges as abortion is permitted only to save the life of the mother. Many are forced to resort to unsafe methods of terminating their pregnancies. Creating hurdles and restrictions around abortion services simply leads to the rise of unsafe abortion practices and consequently a rise in maternal deaths. According to the Kenya Obstetric and Gynecological Society and Kenya Medical Association, 800 unsafe abortions are performed every day and 2,600 women die from unsafe abortions in Kenya each year, representing 30 to 40 percent of Kenya's total maternal deaths.
I hope that other countries around the world will begin to acknowledge the importance of expanding abortion rights as the right to an abortion should be rendered a human right!
