Medical abortion: Religious influence and anti-rights movements, obstacles to the implementation of the Maputo Protocol

"Senegal has ratified the Maputo Convention, but here in Senegal, this convention at the national level poses a problem with regard to its application," said lawyer and Task Force member Madjiguéne Sarr, during the workshop organized by the Association of Journalists in Health, Population and Development (AJSPD) in collaboration with MSI Reproductive Choices Senegal.

The Task Force, she reminded, is an advocacy committee for access to medical abortion in cases of rape and incest. It has been advocating "for more than ten years, to now achieve the harmonization of our internal legal framework with international conventions, but also at the national level."

"Senegal is a party to the international convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women, as well as the Maputo Protocol and the international convention on the rights of the child and the African Charter on the Rights of the Child," the lawyer said.

Regarding the obstacles to this harmonization, she spoke of "the rise of certain anti-rights movements, a lot of ignorance regarding these issues, as well as religious influence and socio-cultural realities."

The Task Force, which brings together legal organizations, civil society organizations, media, medical personnel and women's and feminist organizations, campaigns to "bring information to the population and avoid the circle of fire, namely prison for these women and girls who are victims of rape and incest, lifelong disability, but also death for the latter."

The coordinator of the Imam and Population Network (RIP) of Moussé Fall addressed Islam's position on this issue. Speaking about abortion before 120 days of gestation for valid reasons, he explained: "Muslim scholars unanimously agree that after four (4) months (120 days), abortion is strictly forbidden. Aborting in such a case is considered an act of infanticide and is considered a crime in Islam, except when the mother's life is threatened." He then added: "However, for known and documented reasons (threat to the mother's life, rape, incest), abortion may be performed up to the fourth month."