The abortion law is set to be revised after critics from various people and non-governmental organizations saying it doesn’t favor those who want to abort.
Rwanda Law Reform Commission – RLRC, revealed yesterday during a press briefing that they have deeply thought and shared ideas about the reform of the abortion law.
Usually the process of aborting legally would be allowed through the courts of law, followed by investigation, hearing and decision .This process delayed the request and the decision of allowing an individual to abort would be taken while the pregnancy is already mature.
The law brought complexities for a person who requested abortion in case she is impregnated by a relative or forced to marry.
Lambert Dushimimana, the president of RLRC, said that the long process to get legal acceptance to abort would be delivered while the pregnancy has matured.
“In order to respect rights of an individual willing to abort, we have proposed reforms in the process of getting the court’s decision to the extent that it will take only five days,” he said.
Among proposed improvements on the same article, an elderly person having a reason of aborting will talk to the court’s president who will authorize in writing and facility where the abortion must be carried out.
This will be followed by signing an affidavit.
An abused and impregnated child will be accompanied by parents to get the court’s confirmation to abort.
In 2012, Rwanda ratified the 14th article of Maputo agreements regarding the woman’s rights in reproductive health including concerns of aborting.
Various lawyers and non-governmental organizations including Human Rights Watch and Development in the Great Lakes (GLIDH) have demonstrated that 165th article of Rwanda penal code hinders women’s rights of abortion as ratified in Maputo agreements.
Maputo agreements state that a woman or a child impregnated by a relative, violated, married forcibly or when the pregnancy would endanger the mother’s life is allowed to abort.
However, Rwanda Penal code sets the process of presenting difficulties and only two violated women were allowed to abort.
Leave a Reply