WOMEN COLLECTIVE KENYA DEMANDS ACTION TO END UNSAFE ABORTIONS ON INTERNATIONAL SAFE ABORTION DAY

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Members of Women Collective Kenya (WCK) address the press during the commemoration of International Safe Abortion Day 2025, calling for urgent reforms to expand access to safe and legal abortion services.

By: Glad Tv Kenya reporter 

Women Collective Kenya (WCK) marked International Safe Abortion Day 2025 with a strong call to government and policymakers to urgently address the barriers that continue to deny women and girls access to safe and legal abortion services.

The commemoration, held on September 28 under the theme “Safe Abortion is Life-saving Healthcare!”, was dedicated to reaffirming that abortion is not only a health service but a fundamental right that should be protected under the law.

Citing findings from a 2023 report by the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), the Ministry of Health, and the Guttmacher Institute, WCK highlighted the scale of the problem. The study recorded about 792,694 induced abortions in Kenya in 2023, with more than 304,000 women seeking post-abortion care after resorting to unsafe methods before accessing medical assistance.

“Too many women and girls in Kenya still risk their lives through unsafe abortion practices, often resulting in death, coma, or severe complications,” the organization said.

WCK condemned what it termed the “blanket criminalization” of abortion under Kenya’s Penal Code, saying that it has created an environment of fear among health providers, even in cases where the Constitution allows abortion on medical grounds.

“These restrictions discourage healthcare providers from acting in emergencies, pushing women and girls to unsafe options with devastating consequences,” the group noted.

They further warned of continental setbacks, including attempts to weaken existing legal protections, misinformation campaigns, and the stigmatization of both patients and health professionals. According to WCK, these factors compound the challenges women and girls face in accessing comprehensive reproductive healthcare.

The organization outlined a series of demands to both national and county governments. These include the repeal of Penal Code Articles 158–160, 228, and 240, and the full domestication of the Maputo Protocol to legalize safe abortion.

“We are calling for urgent legislative reforms and the removal of arbitrary policy restrictions that limit which health facilities and providers can offer abortion services,” WCK said.

The group also urged governments to invest in public education campaigns to combat abortion stigma, provide accurate information on legality and availability of services, and protect the rights of women seeking care.

WCK called on the judiciary to uphold women’s rights through progressive rulings and asked the Judiciary Training Institute to integrate sexual and reproductive health rights, including safe abortion, into its training curriculum.

As the commemoration closed, WCK stressed that safe abortion must be recognized as an essential health service, central to reducing maternal deaths and ensuring that women and girls across Kenya can live with dignity and autonomy over their bodies.


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