By Precious D Freeman
The West Point Women For Health and Development Organization (WPWHDO) in Collaboration with Community Health Initiative (CHI) has held a daylong stakeholders’ engagement on consultative research findings and policy brief on safe abortion for women and girls in Liberia.
The initiative is aimed at advancing women’s sexuality right in Liberia through access to legal and safe abortion to eliminate death caused by unsafe abortion.
Speaking at the ceremony held in Monrovia over the weekend, the Executive Director of West Point Women for Health and Development (WPWHDO) Nelly Cooper announced that it is time to advocate for safe abortion so as to prevent mortality rate among young girls.
According to Madam Cooper, the rate at which young women and girls are dying due to unsafe abortion is alarming.
She noted that the prevalence rate of unsafe abortion is high among women and girls between 35 to 14 years, noting that if there is a safe space where women and girls can access health care for safe abortion, it will reduce the motility rate in the country.
The survey which was done in several communities in central Monrovia did not only focus on access to safe abortion but also the harmful practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on young women and girls.
Madam Cooper explained further that 400 respondents were interviewed at these targeted communities including the Township of West Point, Slipway, Clara Town, Mechlin Street, Newport Street, Coconut Plantation amongst others.
She ended by urging the Government of Liberia to support programs for women and girls’ empowerment on the promotion of Sexual Reproductive Health Respond services.
Also speaking, the Executive Director for Community Health Initiative (CHI) Noami Tulay Solanke said that this project requires WPWHDO and CHI to implement and conduct a research access to safe abortion.
“We did our work and called few stakeholders to share our findings and what causes women and girls to continue to be at high risk,” CHI boss added.
She explained that there is no law to ensure that girls and women’s right are protected, stating that carrying on this initiative and stating the danger it poses to females will allow stakeholders in decision-making seat to deem it necessary to pass a law that will protect women and girls.
Solanke narrated that the more people are knowledgeable of the challenges women and girls face, it will help lawmakers make informed decisions.
She however explained that unplanned and unwanted pregnancy leads to most girls staying out of school and as such there is a need for law and policy on FGM and SRHR services in the country.
Participants at the stakeholders’ engagements expressed gratitude to both organizations for working hard to gather data that would provide a background and serve as a source document for stakeholders’ advocacy.
Stakeholders who attended the program were drawn from different sectors including the Muslim Community.
The program which was sponsored by RFSU, a Swedish organization that promotes Sexuality Education and Rights seeks to focusing on reducing sexual and Gender Based Violence, promote access to safe abortion as a right issue by increasing awareness among policy makers including religious and traditional leaders, increased collaboration among CSOs network in advocating for amendments to the restrictive provisions within the statutes that limit women’s rights to safe and legal abortion and reduce negative social norms and behavior that undermine women’s access to safe abortion.
