THE ABORTION CONVERSATION 

Abortion in Eswatini is like that gum at the bottom of your shoe that generally inconveniences the way that you walk, but for some reason you refuse to stand by the side of the road and remove it. So instead you continue walking for as long as you can until it merges with your shoe such that it’s no longer uncomfortable but instead you have become accustomed to it and no longer feel the need to remove it. This is quite a vivid illustration of the issue of abortion in this country and also highlights how easily emaSwati sideline prominent issues. 

Most women’s reasons for committing abortions vary in accordance to family dynamics, romantic relationships, religion and age. Eswatini is a fairly conservative and religious State, mostly Christian orientated. Our principles and roots stem solely from the Christian perspective and it also plays a huge part in the way we approach most of the situations we encounter. This, however, has worked against us at times. By having inherent Christian values most have been subjected to condemnation and much scrutiny for making choices that are apparently anti-Christian values. 

One of the most prominent behaviour, which is commonly condemned by the populace, is sex before marriage. This one is usually not up for debate, it is condemned in the highest degree in our country yet it is one of the most prevalent of ‘sins’.  

The prevalence of unprotected sex before marriage is the direct cause of the high rate of pregnancy among young women. It is also one of the reasons for such a high rate of illegal abortions in the country. This is because pregnant young women fear being subjected to shame and scrutiny for falling pregnant out of wedlock and, therefore, resort to committing backstreet abortions.

Employment 

Another common reason for illegal abortions in this country is lack of employment opportunities and the minimum wage received by most. The financial implications of having a child are usually weighed by the expectant parent or parents, and the final consensus is sometimes to do an abortion. Most might ask themselves why women aren’t preventing pregnancies in the first place, to avoid getting to a point where they have to abort. The answer to this might not be as clear as day but often times women cite the inaccessibility of contraceptives and rarity of sex education in our communities. 

Although our Ministry of Health has made great strides to ensure that family planning is accessible and available to all, most pregnant women fear criticism, such as judgement due to their age at health centres, hence resulting in them not making an effort to attain contraceptives. Some women cite backlash from their sexual partners concerning the use of contraceptives. These are just a few of the reasons that result in unplanned pregnancies that further push the pregnant individual to consider termination. 

Discussions

Unfortunately, family dynamics also form a huge part of the reason for such a considerable rate of abortion in Eswatini. The common practice in most households is to not have discussions around the issue of sexual intercourse; this causes a strained relationship between the now sexually active children and their parents. 

In emaSwati households, it has been, over the years, considered taboo to discuss sex in an open and transparent manner, which then results in most attaining sexual education from other sources and further fearing discussing anything related to sex. In so doing, those who eventually fall pregnant fail to report this at home and also fear the reaction of their elders, in turn resorting to illegal abortions which have become easily executed due to the easy access of the illegal pills necessary to terminate the pregnancy. 

Does this, therefore, mean our country should consider legalising abortion? Maybe yes, and maybe no. However, all these factors need to be considered to ensure that we help women with not only knowledge and assistance but by also refraining from condemning them, it does more worse than good.

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