On September 28 – International Safe Abortion Day, we united in #AbortionSolidarity to address the pressing need for reform in Tanzania’s abortion laws. In collaboration with the Coalition to Address Maternal Mortality and Morbidity due to Abortion and its Complications (CAMMAC), WGNRR Africa united diverse stakeholders—including healthcare providers, legal advocates, civil society organizations (CSOs), youth activists, and media professionals to amplify a collective voice in advancing abortion rights and reproductive justice in Tanzania.
More than 35 representative from 17 CSOs, experts from renown law firms, human rights organizations, public and private facilities, and renown media outlets gathered in an indoor event, under the theme of “Collective Voice for Change: Advancing Safe and Legal Abortion and Reproductive Justice in Tanzania”, to discuss the legal and social barriers imposed by current laws, share personal stories to illustrate the human impact of restrictive laws, building empathy, explore how legal action can set precedents for broader policy changes in reproductive rights, and mobilize support for legal and social reforms.
In his opening remarks, the WGNRR Africa’s Regional Director called for sympathy to victims of unwanted pregnancies resulting from rape, incest and sexual assaults, and emphasized the necessity of a harmonized and collective voice to expand safe abortion access for this category of women and girls in Tanzania.
During the panel discussion on “Enhancing Safe Abortion Services in Tanzania: Challenges, Legal Reforms, and Cross-Sectoral Solidarity,” participants echoed the need for collaboration across sectors to push for law and policy reforms, emphasizing that domestication of the Maputo Protocol, and clear medical guidelines on safe abortion care, would be key in ensuring that safe abortion is accessible with no harm in Tanzania.
Furthermore, young people’s leadership in SRHR was championed as a critical driver of change. In the Concluding remarks, the representative from CAMMAC secretariat, invited participants invited non-CAMMAC members to join the coalition and work hand in hand to ensure “no woman die because of preventable unsafe abortion”. The event ended on a music sound provided by Feminist Artist band.
As we face persistent threats to abortion rights globally, we unite in #AbortionSolidarity to advocate for decriminalization, expanded access to safe abortion, and reproductive justice for all. Let’s continue mobilizing across movements, demanding that governments protect bodily autonomy and ensure everyone, regardless of their background, has access to safe, stigma-free abortion care.
Together, we call for a future where everyone has the power to make informed and autonomous decisions about their bodies and lives.
