By Michael Gwarisa The National Assembly has approved significant amendments to the Termination of Pregnancy Act [Chapter 15:10] (1977), marking a major step toward modernising Zimbabwe’s reproductive health laws. The changes were introduced under the Medical Services Bill, 2025, and are aimed at aligning the outdated 1977 legislation with the Constitution of Zimbabwe (2013) and current public health realities. The amendments, introduced by Hon. Edwin Mushoriwa of Dzivaresekwa Constituency, were passed in the National Assembly on 23 October 2025. The Bill now moves to the Senate for consideration before being…
Read MoreTag: BODILY AUTONOMY
Abortion conversation must recognize women’s bodily autonomy and integrity
By Memory Pamella Kadau The previous installments touched on the legal regime regulating abortion in Zimbabwe having previously established that abortion doesn’t pose a moral dilemma. If anything, abortion services are part of the basic health needs for tens of thousands of women each year in Zimbabwe. That the law proscribes safe abortion by choice, limiting it to exceptional cases of medical emergencies, rape and incest is an act of injustice which undermines this right. This article will look at the dimension of how existing abortion regulation undermines the fundamental…
Read MoreEnding Harmful Practices Starts With Allowing Girls & Women Bodily Autonomy- UNFPA
THE United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Zimbabwe’s Assistant Country Representative, Ms Abbigail Msemburi says woman and girls should have power to make decisions over their bodies as a first step towards ending child marriages, traditional harmful practices and all forms of abuse. By Michael Gwarisa Presenting findings from the 2021 State of the World Population (SWOP) Report during a virtual commemoration of the World Population Day, Ms Msemburi said majority of women were still denied bodily autonomy and data from the SWOP indicated that half of women in 57 developing…
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