Review restrictive abortion laws, says group

A non-governmental organisation, IPAS-Nigeria, has called for a review of restrictive laws on abortion.

Its Country Director, Lucky Palmer, made the call during a workshop in Owerri, the Imo State capital.

The group said an amendment of restrictive abortion laws is needed due to the human rights implications of unsafe abortions.

Palmer said: “There is the need for political will on the part of the government to domesticate international and regional treaties that promote women’s reproductive health and rights, such as African Union Protocol on the Rights of Women in Africa.

“Access to abortion services is particularly important for women and girls who are victims of sexual violence, rape and incest.”

He said though Nigeria ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), it had not incorporated it into national laws.

Besides, the group said its provisions are, therefore, not accessible to victims of violations.Another challenge listed by IPAS includes the complicit silence of the laws where they are expected to expressly intervene to secure the rights of the vulnerable.

IPAS, which began its work in 1973, provides life-saving reproductive health technologies for health systems in several countries.

With offices on four continents, it works to meet the reproductive health needs of women and girls, improving health services and access for them, and expanding their sexual and reproductive rights.