Support the reduction of abortion stigma Goma DRC

Report on the abortion conversation project in Goma, North Kivu the Democratic Republic of Congo

This project received a seed grant from Abortion Conversation Projects which helped to collect clear evidence about abortion in Goma, and then engaged the population on issues around abortion.

Through small activities, we continue getting the availlable opportunoties to talk about abortion, to remind the audience about abortion especially in events where we are invited, in order to provide people with accurate information this will help them to make informed decisions about their lives. What we do not support is the death of women while perfoming unsafe abortion, we should reduce the numbers of women dying due to unsafe abortion, there is no logic for such cruel death.

We so much impressed that cases of unsafe abortion have gradually reduced and tensions in communities related to abortion have reduced, but still abortion is criminalized and those who opt for it are viewed as the worst people in the community.

In order to save the lives of women in Goma who are facing all the consequences related to abortion, more activities should focus on community meetings and dialogues at the community levels, so that members can agree themselves of which path to take. On top of that counselling sessions are needed to heal different people who are affected, the community insertion of the victims is also another project and then the struggle for women economic empowerment, because many problems are connected to poverty.

We still count on your generous support in order to do all these activities and heal completely the communities from this challenge.

Thanks

Background information

Goma has a population of 2million and currently hosts more than 3million people IDPs composed of 75% women and children, living is dire conditions in Camps. During their lifetimes these women have been victims of all forms of sexual abuses and many are psychologically unstable, on top of dire life conditions they are also confronted with the reality of unwanted pregnancy, rapes and other forms of sexual abuses, including sexual exploitation. Helping women to access information about safe abortion will save therefore many lives because so far women are involved in abortion but in most cases not safe. Our activities focuses on two major things: Providing accurate information to women about abortion so that they can take informed decisions and provide with choices during pregnancy, and the second is to reduce unsafe abortion for those who opt to do it by helping them with information on how best they can do it without putting their lives at risk.

Information session with IDP women from Lushagala Camp in Goma

This information session focused on these adult women because they remain the pillar and source of information to young girls, they are mostly the advisors and generally the consultants in their communities, due to their age they have something to say and can easily change the attitudes of people in the communities. 

Welcome remarks and self-introduction

Definition of key concept on abortion stigma reduction

Exchange of experiences and cases about abortion in camps

Way forward

The information which was chaired by Florence Mapatano and Solange from SWID a partner organization welcomed the participants and asked each one to present his/herself.

The key words which were explained are:

Abortion, Voluntary abortion, involuntary abortion, abortion reduction, abortion stigma,

The chairperson of the meeting took time to explain in very simple words and in local language which each word means and this helped women to understand better the topic.

The participants also looked into history and their tradition in order to see if the word abortion existed, there was consensus that abortion is not a white culture which is being imposed in Africa but is was part of the tradition, even unsafe abortion existed in the communities much as it was highly punished.

Sharing of experiences

One of the IDP women said “

I still remember one day when I aborted, I was five months pregnant and then in the process I aborted three times, I was concerned and decided to go to the health center and after checking they told me that there was nothing wrong with my body. I was then a subject of discussion in the whole family of in-laws and even in my community which connected me to someone who could bring misfortune to the family and the community, I knew if anything bad could happen there was a chance to be attributed to me, I lost esteem and also lost all my friends who took distance from me because they do not want to be seen as being associated with me. My salvation happened when a certain white woman came and was treating people in the Community, I went to her and she took care and treated me and now I gave birth to a baby boy.  Then people started coming to me again and I become also part of the community.

More experiences were shared among women which are related to stigma and other forms of discrimination against women.

In our daily interaction with people in the community, we do observe the following:

Lack of information, religious and cultural beliefs, stigmatization and the use of harbor in order to terminate pregnancy.

Our approach has been mainly to share with people accurate information, and let them know how to access services, this approach leaves people with their freedom to choose, and our intention is to reduce stigma and reduce unsafe abortion practices which put women at risks.

Challenges

Our project is highly affected by the lack of funds which will help us to collect all necessary information about safe-abortion and to train specialized staffs in abortion, more research work is needed in order to come up with clear evidence based in each community and mark all service providers, analyze the existing policies and come up with advocacy orientation.

Being knew topic in the community it is more and more demanded by many people but we have not yet managed to reach to all those who need this information because of funding.

Way forward

We appeal upon you to support our fundraising activities and help us to get the necessary funds

• Brief report of our activities on abortion (PDF)