Breaking the silence on the cost of unsafe abortions
New documentary spotlights a silent crisis in Africa
A powerful new documentary investigates the sexual and reproductive health and rights landscape across the African continent.
Can Africa truly protect its youth without access to safe and legal abortions?A powerful and unflinching new documentary, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights: Africa's Lifesaving Actions for Adolescents, explores this urgent question with depth and nuance. The film delivers an urgent and necessary narrative that speaks to the future of Africa: its youth.
Produced by Namibian journalist Tuyeimo Haidula, alongside journalists Maria David and Peace Ncube, the film offers a stark and compelling look at the consequences of restrictive abortion laws, limited access to reproductive healthcare and the ongoing crisis of unsafe, backstreet abortions across Namibia, Botswana and South Africa.
The documentary captures the real-time impact of unsafe abortions and showcases the tireless work of Namibian healthcare professionals providing critical care to affected adolescents.
It features interviews with medical professionals, policy experts and high-profile figures, including Namibia's former First Lady, Monica Geingos. Moreover, it highlights stories of resilience while asking a key question: Should access to safe abortion be improved by strengthening reproductive health services across Africa?
It also includes often heartbreaking accounts from women whose lives were deeply affected by the restrictive laws that left them with no choice but to seek unsafe and sometimes life-threatening backstreet procedures.
The documentary premieres on NTV on Africa Day, 25 May – a day that celebrates the unity, resilience and progress of the continent.
According to the World Health Organisation, 97% of all unsafe abortions occur in developing countries, with nearly half taking place under the least safe conditions in Africa.
While the Maputo Protocol remains the only human rights instrument on the continent that explicitly recognises abortion rights, 44 out of 49 ratifying African Union member states have placed reservations on Article 14(2)(c), effectively weakening its impact. This failure leaves countless adolescents vulnerable, without access to essential health education, safe services or the means to control their reproductive lives.
Advocating for an empowered youth
Haidula, a multi-award-winning Namibian journalist currently based at Network Media Hub (NMH), with over a decade of experience, together with her filming partners, has long shone a spotlight on the challenges faced by girls and young women.
As a 2023/24 African Union Media Fellow, her work aims to amplify underreported stories, confront stigma and advocate for evidence-based policy reform.
"I was driven by the pressing need to address the life-threatening challenges adolescents face around sexual and reproductive health across Africa," Haidula said yesterday, explaining her decision to highlight this often divisive and emotional issue in the documentary.
"I want people to understand that young people have the right to lead healthy lives. As they develop, we want them to take more and more control of their lives so that as they get older, they can make important life decisions of their own accord," she added.
To women facing an unexpected and frightening pregnancy, she said they should know they have the right to make decisions about their future, underlining the individual's right to bodily autonomy.
Right to say no
Among other crucial issues affecting women is the high rate of sexual violence in Namibia and the need to boost awareness about sexual and reproductive rights.
Haidula, a founding member and vice chairperson of the Ondangwa Adolescent and Youth Health Centre, highlighted the vital role of comprehensive sexuality education in raising awareness about individuals' rights to make informed decisions about their reproductive and sexual health.
"Through sexual education campaigns, young people must be clearly informed of their right to say yes or no to any sexual advances," she explained. "This is especially important in Southern Africa, where rape cases remain alarmingly high."
She added: "The less privileged and vulnerable youth in rural areas are being made more aware of their rights and the procedures to follow if they are coerced or raped. The constitutions of Namibia, South Africa and Botswana all uphold the right to dignity. This right must be respected and valued for every individual," she stressed.
She also underlined that in most African homes, discussions around sex are still taboo.
"However, programmes like DREAMS and PROJECT OF HOPE have impacted the livelihoods of the youth by educating them on important elements such as sexual education and how to alleviate and handle gender-based violence."