Zambia's Abortion Issue Highlighted As Man in Zambia Suing Wife For Having Abortion

Sunday, 28 July 2024

By: TB Obwoge

Women all over the globe are subjected to the whims of what men want them to be or to do. Why are men this way when it comes to women? Many seem to think their religion or cultures dictate how they should treat women, sadly mostly think women and children are only property, nothing more nothing less. 

In my scanning of the news I read throughout Africa, I came across this article. What made me write about it was the evil and cruel comments from men under the social media post. I had to look deeper into this situation.

A 29-YEAR-OLD man from Lusaka’s Chunga compound has sued his wife for divorce for aborting pregnancy in their matrimonial home. The couple has a three-year-old boy since they got married in 2021. This is a matter in which Morgan Mashila, a business man sued his wife Sara Mumba, 26, a business woman for divorce. When the matter came up for trial in the Matero Local Court Two, Mashila disclosed before Magistrate Harriet Mulenga that he had not had sex for the past two months with Mumba. He further revealed that Mumba left her matrimonial home for her parents’ place whenever she wanted, and came back after two or three months without his consent.

Source: News Diggers

What's interesting is that there was a case in Zambia way back in 2002, where a man divorced his wife of 17-years because she also had an abortion. The couple already had 7 children together and the man accused the wife of aborting what would have been their 8th child.

Zambia like many countries in Africa has a very harsh and negative view on abortions. Not sure if it is because of their strict and ridgid religious beliefs or if it's culture. Some women in the country have had abortions from providers that were not legitimate.

There are victims of sexual abuse from family members. religious leaders and other elders who have sought out abortions in Zambia, that have had to use secret clinics.

Beatrice Manda (not her real name) shares her journey to access safe abortion services in the Eastern Province of Zambia, after being impregnated by her uncle.

Last year, I left Petauke district where I lived and went to stay with my auntie, my mother’s sister, in Chipata. One day, my auntie went to church with her three older daughters for overnight prayers, and I remained at home alone with her youngest daughter, aged 6. My uncle had gone out drinking and came back at midnight, very drunk. I opened the door for him and went back to sleep. He started calling me but I did not answer because I knew he was drunk. He kept calling and then came straight to my bedroom. He switched on the lights and continued shouting. Then he started touching me…and he had sex with me that night.

I stayed awake until morning but, when my auntie returned from overnight prayers, I didn’t dare to tell her what had happened. A couple of months after, I decided to do a pregnancy test because I noticed I had missed my periods. I tested and the results came out positive.

I told my uncle that he had got me pregnant, and he said I should look for someone to sleep with and accuse him of the pregnancy. I refused to do that, and we argued. That’s how he and his wife chased me out of their home.

When I left their home, I went to a farm and then to the compound where I am currently staying. I called him once to remind him about the pregnancy, but he insisted that I should find someone else to blame for the pregnancy. Since then, he hasn’t picked up my calls.

Source: FIGO.Org

There is so much work and change that needs to take place around the world when in comes to women and children.

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