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NGO Petitions Rwanda's Supreme Court in Safe Abortions Fight

A local non-governmental organisation that works on issues of sexual and reproductive health and rights, Great Lakes Initiative for Human Rights and Development (GLIHD), has filed a case with the Supreme Court in which they seek to challenge two articles within the Penal Code and the Ministerial Order regarding safe abortions.

In the petition, GLIHD, delves into Articles 125 and 126 of the Penal Code that state that an abortion must be performed by a medical doctor who is by law someone who has at least a Bachelor's degree in medicine.

In addition, it challenges Article 11 of the Ministerial Order that requires at least two (2) medical doctors, one being a specialist in the area of obstetrics and gynaecology, to authorise the termination of a pregnancy due to the risk on the health of the pregnant person or of the foetus.

GLIHD says this requirement impedes women and adolescents' right to access safe abortion services under the stipulated grounds by imposing the stringent requirements.

InFocus

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