Group counsels women against unsafe abortion

The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) has called on women across the country to use contraceptives in reducing the incessant rates of unwanted pregnancies which often results into unsafe abortions. The group disclosed this during a sensitisation event organised for women in partnership with IPAS as part of activities marking the 2018 International Women […]

The National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) has called on women across the country to use contraceptives in reducing the incessant rates of unwanted pregnancies which often results into unsafe abortions.

The group disclosed this during a sensitisation event organised for women in partnership with IPAS as part of activities marking the 2018 International Women Day (IWD).

The president of NCWS, Dr Gloria Laraba Shoda said unsafe abortion has caused about 70,000 deaths worldwide which has been fuelled by socio-economic vices in the society.

She noted that the few reasons for maternal deaths are due to unsafe and unhealthy abortion in the country.

"Today, I urged women to embrace the use of contraceptives in order to reduce the indices of unwanted pregnancies which lead to unsafe abortion" she said.

She added that NCWS would play its part in sensitizing young women on unwanted pregnancies and unsafe abortion to reduce the cause of maternal deaths.

In her remark, the Country Director of IPAS, Barr. Hauwa Shekarau noted that Nigeria has a high level of unintended pregnancies which are resolved by abortion.

“It is imperative to state at this point that the major contributor to unsafe abortion in Nigeria is the law which is quite restrictive and do not even take into deliberation the plight of the woman who was raped and becomes pregnant of such rape,” she said.

She added that Nigeria’s maternal mortality ratios of 576 deaths per 100,000 with at least 13% are attributed to unsafe abortion.

She called on the National Assembly to give the gender and equal opportunities bill the deserved hearing and passage.