East Africans Support Women's Autonomy in Marriage and Reproductive Decisions but Are Divided On Contraceptive Access and Abortion

16 September 2026
Afrobarometer (Accra)
By Anne Okello and Bernice Appiah

Large majorities back sex education and keeping pregnant girls in school.

Key findings

  • A majority of citizens across seven East African countries say that women and girls should be able to decide for themselves whether and when to marry (80%).
  • o Almost as many (73%) say women should decide for themselves how many children to have and when to have them.
  • o Support for women's autonomy in marriage and reproductive decisions is stronger among women, urban residents, the wealthy, and the most educated than among their respective counterparts.
  • About eight in 10 East Africans endorse the teaching of sexuality education in school (79%) and believe that girls who get pregnant or have children should be allowed to continue their schooling (79%).
  • A majority (58%) of citizens in East Africa say contraceptives should be made available to anyone who is sexually active regardless of marital status.
  • o But fewer than half (42%) would make them available regardless of age.
  • o Access to contraceptives regardless of marital status and age is more popular among urban residents, youth, the wealthy, and more educated citizens than among their counterparts.
  • o Support for contraceptive access is weakest in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda. ▪ Two-thirds (67%) of respondents across East Africa say abortion can "sometimes" or "always" be justified if the woman's health or life is at risk.
  • o Fewer than half (47%) say the same for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest.
  • o Solid majorities say pregnancy termination is "never justified" in cases where the woman is economically unable to care for a child (68%) or where she doesn't want the pregnancy for any reason (71%).

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Sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are essential yet inadequately realised across Africa, undermining individual well-being, bodily integrity, and autonomy - particularly for women and girls (Bongomin & August, 2026). While 46 African states have ratified the Maputo Protocol, the continent's principal legal instrument on women's rights, substantial implementation gaps persist, contributing to the continent's poor reproductive-health outcomes (African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, 2026; Equality Now & Solidarity for African Women's Rights, 2023; UNICEF, 2024a).

In East Africa, governments have made strides in developing policies and initiatives to expand sexuality education, family planning, and reproductive freedom. However, access to comprehensive sexual and reproductive services remains inconsistent, largely because critical SRHR components have not been fully integrated into primary health-care systems (Lodenstein, van Eerdewijik, Kamunyu, & Visser, 2019; United Nations Population Fund, 2024). The East African Community Sexual and Reproductive Health Bill has stalled due to opposition from conservative groups that see certain provisions - regarding contraceptive access, sexuality education, and abortion - as conflicting with religious and cultural beliefs and potentially encouraging early sexual activity (Ajayi & Etyang, 2022).

Research reveals that adolescents in the region often encounter misconceptions about contraception, concerns about confidentiality, social stigma, and restrictive gender norms that limit their ability to make informed choices (Chidwick, Baumann, Ogba, Banfield, & DiLiberto, 2022). These barriers have a profound impact: In 2023, East Africa recorded 90 births per 1,000 girls aged 15-19, more than twice the global average of 39 births. Moreover, new HIV infections in the region predominantly affect adolescents and young adults, with girls six times more likely to acquire HIV than boys (UNICEF, 2024a, 2024b).

The latest Afrobarometer surveys, conducted between January 2024 and September 2025 in 38 African countries, included a special module on sexual and reproductive health and rights, probing citizens' views on women's autonomy, contraceptive access, sexuality education, continued schooling for pregnant girls and young mothers, and abortion.

An analysis of findings from seven countries in East Africa1 shows support for women's autonomy in decisions about when to marry and how many children to have, for sexuality education in schools, and for pregnant girls' and young mothers' continued education.

Opinions are divided, however, on contraceptive access and abortion, with views varying widely across countries.

Anne Okello Anne is the assistant project manager for East Africa

Bernice Appiah Bernice Appiah is a master of public policy student at Michigan State University and a research assistant for Afrobarometer.

Read the original article on Afrobarometer.

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