Abortion in Botswana
Abortion in Botswana is only legal if the abortion will save the woman's life, if the pregnancy gravely endangers the woman's physical or mental health, or if it is a result of rape or incest.[1] In Botswana, abortions that meet these requirements must be performed within the first 16 weeks of pregnancy in a government hospital and must be approved by two physicians.[1]
Impact of restrictive abortion laws
[edit]Though women in Botswana are recognized as having some of the best access to abortions in Sub-Saharan Africa because of these exceptions, many women are still resorting to unsafe abortions and self-induced abortions, commonly leading to maternal death.[1]
Socio-cultural impacts on abortion
[edit]In Botswana, many families still follow the lobola custom where men pay a woman's family in order to take her as a bride.[2] This is a way of thanking the parents of the wife for building and molding such a young lady.
References
[edit]- ^ a b c Abortion Policies: Afghanistan to France. United Nations Publications. 2001. ISBN 9789211513653. Retrieved 4 December 2014.
- ^ Smith, Stephanie S. (Dec 2013). "Reproductive health and the question of abortion in Botswana: a review". African Journal of Reproductive Health. 17 (4). Retrieved 4 December 2014.
