What’s in the Proposed Termination of Pregnancy Bill?

In June, 2013, the Malawi government constituted a Special Law Commission to review the country’s abortion law.  It was indicated that this was due to a 2009 study that revealed that 17 percent of all maternal deaths were as a result of abortion complications due to unsafe means which expectant women were using.  

It is against this background that this entry shares with you what the Special Law Commission on the Review of the Abortion Law has finally come up with and their recommendations on the abortion law.  We all waited for what the commission will say about our termination of pregnancy law and now it is time to hear it. 

Before delving into the issues, let us take a short diversion and bear in mind that the issue of abortion or termination of pregnancy - as some people always prefer to call it (though in essence it is the same thing) has caused debates. The debates have always been value laden. Emotions rather than reason guided the debates so much that people have always ended up attacking each other's personalities and circumstances ignoring the critical issue at hand. As is always the case in such scenarios; nothing prolific has ever come out of such hullabaloos.  

As earlier indicated, this entry is not judging or taking sides in this ‘chronic’ debate but rather, the aim is to share with you the essence of the proposed Termination of Pregnancy Bill which is to be submitted to the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs. As the country’s democratic procedures dictate, the next step is that the cabinet will deliberate and then it ‘may’ be tabled in parliament. 

Getting back to the real business; on 17 July, 2015, the Malawi Law Commission stated that the country’s law on abortion (termination of pregnancy) has been liberalized. This has been achieved after bringing in an element of flexibility on the restrictions so that under certain circumstances, abortion/termination of pregnancy should be allowed. Thus, in the recommendations, the termination of pregnancy is to be allowed based on four justifiable instances. According to the recommendations of the commission there should be four justifiable conditions where termination of pregnancy should be permissible;   

Firstly, the proposition states that abortion can be procured where the continued pregnancy will endanger the life of a pregnant woman. However, it is indicated that this will require recommendation from a certified health service provider who may perform a termination of pregnancy where he or she forms an opinion in good faith.

Secondly, the commission recommends that abortion can be procured where termination is necessary to prevent injury to the physical or mental health of the pregnant woman. Again, a certified health service provider should recommend or perform an abortion where he or she forms an opinion, on reasonable grounds.

On the third ground, the commission recommended that abortion can be procured when there is a severe malformation of the foetus which will affect its viability or compatibility with life. An opinion of a certified health service provider is required on this ground as well. 

The fourth and last ground for abortion is where the pregnancy is as a result of rape, defilement or incest. The Chairperson of the Special Law Commission on the Review of the Abortion Law, High Court Judge Esme Chombo stated that this fourth ground covers concerns regarding pregnancy of minors who are not mature enough for child bearing and also covers the increasing cases of incest especially where the victims are minors. 

Currently, abortion is illegal in Malawi and the offence carries a three to 14 years sentence. However, the proposed bill may lead into decriminalization of abortion based on the suggested four conditions.  A quick search indicates that many young girls have obstetric fistula and there are a lot of single mothers and adolescent girls who are failing to take care of their children who were born as a result of rape, defilement or incest.

Ntcheu Drop in Centre Enhancing Young People’s Reproductive Health through ICT: A Case of 16 Year- Old Cosmas

                                                            Written by: Mc Carthy Samalani

Young people who live within the vicinity of YONECO’s Drop in Centre in Ntcheu district are now in smiles for having Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRH &R) information at their fingertips.

16 year old Cosmas Malipa hails from Zakutchire in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Kwataine in the district. He visits Ntcheu Youth Drop in Centre at least three times a week. Among other things, Cosmas searches for SRH & R information using the free internet service that is available at the centre. He further uses the WhatsApp to have some SRH conversations with his fellow young people or engaging the group’s moderators. The SRH & R WhatApp forum is a YONECO’s initiative and the group is called the Youth Breeze.

Cosmas attested that since he started visiting and attending ICT dialogue sessions at the Model Youth Drop in Centre, his life has been greatly transformed. He revealed that a year ago when he was in standard seven of his primary school studies, he had two sexual partners. Cosmas stated that he has now realized, through Youth Breeze discussions and information he gets on reliable internet sites, that he was exposing himself to the risk of contracting Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) including HIV and he added that he could have also impregnated someone and consequently affect his education.  

Cosmas has now made up his mind to focus on education and vowed that he will never get into a sexual relationship until he finishes his education. He further added that he sat for 2015 Primary School leaving Certificate Examinations and he is optimistic that he will be selected to secondary school.

 “Thanks to YONECO for making SRH & R information available to young people like me and I never thought that one day I would be able to use a computer.  Computer literacy is perceived to be for the rich and those who live in urban areas but here I am today; a simple, common young person endowed with computer skills and knowledge that is enabling me to get important information,” Said Cosmas. 

With support from Unicef, Youth Net and Counseling (YONECO) through its office in Ntcheu district established a model youth drop in centre in October, 2014. Among other activities, the centre conducts SRH and R dialogue sessions with young people using face to face as well as other ICT tools like WhatsApp.

YONECO’s Ntcheu district office data indicates that on average, 40 young people attend various activities at the centre every day.

YONECO Facilitates the Training of Youth Friendly Health Service (YFHS) Providers

The five-day training of 17 Youth Friendly Health Service (YFHS) Providers which YONECO organized in Liwonde is a clear manifestation of how eager the organization is to ensure the reduction of HIV and other Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) as well as adolescent pregnancies. 

High HIV and STI prevalence rates among the youth as well as increasing numbers of adolescent pregnancies that are registered every year are a cause for concern in Malawi. 

Despite this being the case, several studies have proved that the uptake of SRH services among young people in Malawi is very low. This is also in spite of the fact that several YFHS Corners have been established in various public health centres in the country - why is the uptake low? Studies on this question have indicated that there are a number of contributing factors which include negative attitudes of health workers towards young people who go to health centres for SRH.

This is why YONECO and the National AIDS Commission (NAC) thought it necessary to direct their efforts towards training health workers in the provision of YFHS. The overall aim is to reduce the spread of HIV and STI infections as well as dealing with the problem of adolescent pregnancies. 

 Thus, to reach this goal, there is need to ensure that young people’s sexual and reproductive health needs are met. 

Thus, after the training, the participants avowed their commitment towards the improvement of sexual reproductive health service provision to young people.  

A Message to Adolescent Girls: Obstetric Fistula is Real and Preventable!

As Malawi joins the rest of the world in commemorating the International Fistula Day on 23 May, 2015; young girls should do their best to avoid this condition which is preventable and treatable but nevertheless dangerous.

Studies have shown that 1.6 out of every 1, 000 Malawian women develop fistula and a lot more others are living with the condition. This is how serious the problem of fistula is at the moment in Malawi.

My emphasis in this entry is on obstetric fistula which is said to be the most devastating and serious of all childbirth injuries. According to the Fistula Foundation, “obstetric fistula is a hole between the vagina and rectum or bladder that is caused by prolonged obstructed labor, leaving a woman incontinent of urine or feces or both”. 

There are many related heartrending consequences to adolescent girls and these include; preventing young girls from going to school and limiting their opportunity to actively participate in economic activities and other personal development initiatives.   

As already stated in this entry, obstetric fistula is preventable. According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), can largely be avoided by:

• delaying the age of first pregnancy;
• the cessation of harmful traditional practices; and
• timely access to obstetric care.

However, the best option for young girls who are also very prone to obstetric fistula due to immaturity of their reproductive organs is to simply avoid pregnancy. This is why delaying the age of first pregnancy is very important to avoid this condition.

This is also one of the reasons why child marriages are not popular in our society as married adolescents want to bear children in their marriages while their bodies are not ready.

To some young people out there, obstetric fistula sounds like a fabricated condition meant to prevent them from having sex. There is no need to know it when you have it hence it is advisable that if you fail to abstain, you better seek SRH services like condoms to avoid conception at a tender age. There are so many Youth Friendly Health Service centres in public health centres where you can get SRH services for free! Patronise such establishments and avoid pregnancies and contraction of STIs including HIV.

A number of testimonies have been made by those who have been through this condition and it is a pitiful condition which you, as a young person should try your best to avoid.

However, women with fistula face rejection and isolation and these two vices should not be encouraged in our society as people with this condition also need care and support just like everyone.

Lastly, as we all commemorate this day under the theme; End Fistula, Restore Women's Dignity, my message to all young girls in Malawi is that fistula is real and it is also very prevalent among young girls who go to maternity clinics for delivery.

12 Year-Old Girl Defying a 15 Km Journey in Pursuit of Education

12 year-old Mary Imran

Not many girls from  Mangochi district reach  standard 8 of their primary education and  this is attributed  the case due to a number of factors like child marriages, teen age pregnancies and lack of enthusiasm due to lack of role models. Further to this, young people from Mponda village in the area of Traditional Authority (T/A) Katuli have an additional causative obstacle which is a. long distance to and from school.   

Most young people get tired of the 15 km distance a few days after enrolling and they decide to drop out first and enroll again when they are old enough to manage the distance. However, most of the boys and girls return to school after getting older but they eventually drop out again after a few weeks as well. This time around, the reason for dropping out of school revolves around the issue of age. By the time the dropouts feel they are old enough to walk 30 kilometers to and from school for 5 days in a week, they get into a class that is full of learners who are two times younger than them. Coping up becomes difficult and they eventually dropout as they feel too old for standard 1. 

However, 12- year old Mary Imran who is a standard 3 learner at Kwisimba Primary School has a slightly similar story to tell but her story comes with a different twist at the end.  

In 2009, when she was exactly six years old, Mary enrolled at Kwisimba Primary School which is 15 km away from her village. She enrolled together with her two age-mates from her village as well.

After only a week, the three young girls realised that they were up against an insurmountable task. This is when they all realised why other older girls just stay at home despite having knowledge on the importance of education. 

Mary remembers the general body weakness and fatigue that made her feel paralytic on Saturday after walking for 30 km every day for 5 days. Her friends also complained similar ailments. The inevitable was about to happen and just like many others before them; they dropped out of primary school without much ado. The agreement was that they will go back to school after reaching 12 years of age as their muscles and bones will be stronger and harder. 

Upon reaching the age of 10 in 2013, Mary was old enough to join a group of adolescent girls which she had always been wishing to join since the group was established but age was the only limiting factor. 

After the then 10-year old Mary joined Mponda Adolescent Girls Club whose establishment was facilitated by UN-JPAG (United Nations Joint Programme on Adolescent Girls), Mary has been learning a lot and the group’s activities met her expectations. 

One day, during one of their usual sessions, all the group members were encouraged to go to school. Mary remembers the lengthy discussion which the group had on the importance of education.

After that particular session, she went straight to her two friends and pleaded

with them to return to school but the two still felt too young to go to school again unless they add another two years.

Determined and unwavering, Mary enrolled in standard 1 of her primary school studies again in 2013 at the age of 10 and not 6 as is the right age in Malawi. In her class, there were younger learners than her. She stated that many of them were only six years old. However, to her, the difference of 4 years is negligible unlike 12 to 6 years.      

 

She recommenced her studies and took them seriously so much that she is now in standard 3 and in the last academic term, Mary scooped position number 2 in a class of over 15 learners. She is very confident that her dream of becoming a secondary school teacher will one day come true. 

“I always get along well with my fellow learners and the age difference is not that huge unlike if I had started school when I was 12,” said Mary. 

She stated that the activities of Mponda Adolescent Girls Club have tremendously changed her life and she boasts of being equipped with relevant and age appropriate information about sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Young People; Let’s Stay Away from Drug and Substance Abuse

Young people are exposed to a number of hard drugs and substances which they use to feel what they call ‘high’. Sadly, these drugs and substances are habit-forming and the addiction has several related negative consequences which include; academic difficulties, Poor peer relationships, increase in crime rate, family conflicts, the community and health related problems.

In education, the use of drugs lead to general decline of academic performance among young users and increases school dropouts among other things.

In terms of health, drug users risk physical as well as mental health disorders and this sometimes leads to death and a loss to the society.

Hard drugs lead to the spread of HIV as well as STIs and this is one aspect which most users do not know. When one is under the influence of drugs, he or she is likely to engage in casual and unprotected sex. Thus, unplanned pregnancies and contraction of HIV as well as STIs are among SRH issues that are connected to the use and abuse of drugs and substances.

Young people should do all they can to stay away from drugs. Further to this, it is everybody’s responsibility to ensure that young people are keeping their distances from drugs and negative peer pressure should be discouraged. Counselling among those who are addicted to drugs should not be ignored – Young people who are addicted to drugs should be referred to institutions that offer counselling and rehabilitation.

Together We Can Change The Youth!!!