Zimbabwe High Court Rules Denial of Abortion Services to Rape Victims and Minors Unconstitutional, Addressing Long-standing Issues of Unsafe Procedures
HARARE, Zimbabwe — In a landmark decision, the High Court of Zimbabwe has ruled that preventing pregnant minors and women impregnated through marital rape from accessing abortion services is unconstitutional. The court’s judgment, issued on November 22 and disclosed this week by Judge Maxwell Takuva, marks an essential shift toward aligning the country’s abortion laws with its criminal statutes that outlaw marital rape and sexual relations with minors. The court ruling could significantly impact Zimbabwe’s stringent abortion regulations, which have pushed numerous women and girls towards hazardous illegal abortions – frequently with fatal outcomes. In … Read more