Abortion in Sierra Leone

In 2022, the government of Julius Maada Bio backed a new reproductive health bill that would lift the abortion ban.

Unsafe abortions are a major factor in Sierra Leone's maternal mortality rate, one of the highest in the world.

Factors that motivate abortions include the inability to afford a baby, disapproval of the relationship by the family, and lack of contraceptives.

The British judicial decision Rex v Bourne on the same law's application found that it permits abortions to save the life of the mother.

Opponents said the protocol was an example of Western imperialist morality and a policy against abortion defended Sierra Leone's cultural sovereignty.

[14] The Safe Abortion Act was introduced to the Parliament of Sierra Leone by Isata Kabia of the ruling All People's Congress.

[16][17] Koroma asked for Parliament to review the law since the Maputo Protocol only provided for abortion in cases of rape and medical emergencies.

[6] In an address on International Women's Day, he argued that the law violated the right to life and that it did not clearly define its scope.

[5] The IRCSL was influenced by the Catholic Church, which argued that abortion violated a clause in the Constitution that said, "No person shall be deprived of his life intentionally".

[1] The president of the IRCSL, Sheikh Abu Bakarr Conteh, said that the law should consider the rights of the sexual partner and the family of the woman getting an abortion.

Supporters of the bill believed that opponents were influenced by American religious leaders and a member of the United States Congress.

[16] Proponents of the bill said that unsafe abortions were a large contributor to maternal mortality in Sierra Leone, which was the highest in the world, and that the law would support victims of rape and sexual violence.

[18] In January 2016, alongside the anti-abortion protest, dozens of people, mostly middle-class women, attended a demonstration in support of the proposal.

Anti-abortion activists raised concerns that Sierra Leone lacked the medical facilities to perform abortions.

The group representing Sierra Leone's female lawyers made a statement advocating for legalizing abortion with restrictions and for the training of nurses.

[21] The Cabinet of President Julius Maada Bio backed the Safe Motherhood and Reproductive Health Bill to decriminalise abortion.

[22] He said at the conference, "At a time when sexual and reproductive health rights for women are either being overturned or threatened, we are proud that Sierra Leone can once again lead with progressive reforms.

My government has unanimously approved a safe motherhood bill that will include a range of critical provisions to ensure the health and dignity of all girls and women of reproductive age in this country.

"[23] The speech referred to the Supreme Court of the United States's recent decision to overturn the constitutional right to abortion.

[24] Observers said that the bill would be difficult to pass ahead of the 2023 Sierra Leonean general election as members of Parliament would avoid the risk of losing support.

"[24][26] The American advocacy group African Population and Health Research Centre lobbied for the bill to be "fast-tracked".

Without medical advice, some of them take the drug too late, which leads to severe bleeding or fatal sepsis from being unable to remove the fetus.

According to MSI, some pregnant girls ingest rat poison or put sharp objects in their uteri, ensuring that doctors will operate on them on the grounds that their life is threatened.

In Freetown, they have access to midwives, but the stigma causes some to turn to unlicensed healthcare providers, who may perform unsafe abortions.

In other cases, friends and relatives convince couples not to get abortions, due to religious beliefs or commitment to caring for the baby.