Women’s Collective Kenya Calls for Urgent Reforms on International Safe Abortion Day

NAIROBI KENYA 

In Summary

• 792,694 induced abortions were recorded in Kenya in 2023, with over 304,000 women seeking post-abortion care.
• Restrictive laws and stigma continue to drive women and girls into unsafe abortion practices.
• Poor women in informal settlements and rural areas are disproportionately affected, making abortion access a class struggle.
• Women’s Collective Kenya (WCK) is calling on the government to repeal Penal Code provisions, implement the Maputo Protocol, and remove barriers limiting access to safe abortion.

WCK also urges the judiciary to uphold women’s rights and integrate sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) into judicial training.

Women’s Collective Kenya (WCK) joined the global community today in marking International Safe Abortion Day 2025, under the theme “Safe Abortion is Life-saving Healthcare!”. The organization emphasized that access to safe abortion is not only an essential healthcare service but also a fundamental human right that must be safeguarded.

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Citing data from the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), the Ministry of Health, and the Guttmacher Institute, WCK highlighted that in 2023, Kenya recorded approximately 792,694 induced abortions. Alarmingly, many women first attempted unsafe methods—such as ingesting harmful substances or using sharp objects—before eventually turning to medical abortion pills. This pattern led to serious complications, with over 304,000 women seeking post-abortion care.

“These numbers reflect lives at risk. Unsafe abortions continue to cause deaths, comas, and long-term health complications,” said Ruth Mombi, Director of Women’s Collective Kenya.

A Class Struggle in Reproductive Health

In her remarks, Mombi drew attention to the class dimension of abortion access in Kenya.

“Poor women in informal settlements and rural areas are the ones dying because of unsafe abortions. The laws in this country have never favored the poor; they always favor the rich. A wealthy woman will never be found queuing at a health center in Dandora or Korogocho. Yet it is the poor, the powerless, and the young girls who continue to lose their lives,” she said.

WCK also noted that nine out of ten women seeking abortion in public health facilities lack access to safe, legal, and timely care—underscoring the need for urgent reforms.

Restrictive Laws and Rising Stigma

Despite Article 26 of the Constitution, Kenya maintains blanket criminalization of abortion under Penal Code Articles 158–160, 228, and 240. WCK argues that these provisions, alongside restrictive policies, reporting requirements, and limitations on which health providers can deliver abortion services, have created a climate of fear among providers.

“Even in health emergencies where abortion is permitted, doctors hesitate, fearing prosecution. This drives women and girls into unsafe abortions with devastating consequences,” the statement read

ISAD WCK Statement 2025

The organization further warned of regressive continental trends, including the spread of misinformation and increasing stigmatization of both providers and women seeking care.

Demands to Government and Judiciary

On this year’s International Safe Abortion Day, WCK issued a clear call to action:

• Repeal Penal Code provisions (Articles 158–160, 228, and 240) and align Kenyan law with the Maputo Protocol.
• Fast-track policy reforms to remove arbitrary restrictions on which cadres of health providers and levels of health facilities can offer abortion services.
• Invest in public education to dismantle abortion stigma and provide accurate information on safe abortion as an essential health service.
• Strengthen judicial protection of reproductive rights by integrating SRHR, including abortion rights, into the training curricula of judicial officers.

Centering the Voices of the Marginalized

WCK underscored that women and girls most at risk;particularly survivors of rape and defilement, adolescents, and those from poor backgrounds—must be placed at the center of policy reforms.

“When abortion is restricted, it doesn’t save lives; it kills women. Denying young girls and survivors of sexual violence access to safe abortion is a violation of their dignity and human rights,” said Mombi, closing with a rallying call: “Viva Women! viva!"