Abortion in Ethiopia
And if she lives in a place that has good, available, as much as possible de-stigmatized services, and lots of information, she can get there in the first trimester.
After that, it’s more expensive, it’s more complicated, it’s more dangerous, it’s more upsetting for everybody involved.
~Deborah Maine, DrPH, discussing the importance of access to abortion services in Ethiopia in the documentary Not Yet Rain, via Because Magazine, Winter 2011 edition
This documentary follows the journey to abortion by two rape victims, as well as other personal stories of those involved with abortion in Ethiopia.
Click here to link to the documentary homepage and click on the video to watch. Discussion begins at 6:58.
Apr.13, 2011 9:41 am |
Inconsistencies |
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
“…more upsetting for everybody involved…”
Well, there’s ONE person who is equally ‘upset’ no matter when you abort. Hint: that would be the one being torn to pieces. What this translates into is, “The smaller they are, the easier it is to kill human beings.”
Also telling is the qualifier “as much as possible de-stigmatized…”—that’s right, because even the so-called “godless” have His laws written on their heart and know that taking another’s life, particularly that of a defenseless little one, is wrong.
I am actually having a two-way discussion with Eric Zorn about his opposition to ultrasound legislation in IL at chicagotribune.org. If any post-abortive women who visit this site were denied a chance to view the ultrasound, you could help immensely with my point. Mr. Zorn apparently agrees that if an ultrasound is used, patients have the right to view it. He is now questioning my claim that clinics obfuscate the ultrasound screen. PP of Aurora told me over the phone that they do allow viewing of the ultrasound. Was anyone out there denied the right to view their ultrasound? Please comment on Zorn’s article at
http://blogs.chicagotribune.com/news_columnists_ezorn/2011/04/take-a-close-look-anti-abortion-proposal-in-springfield-encourages-women-to-view-fetal-ultrasounds-o.html
to raise support for ultrasound legislation in IL.
Also telling is the qualifier “as much as possible de-stigmatized…”—that’s right, because even the so-called “godless” have His laws written on their heart and know that taking another’s life, particularly that of a defenseless little one, is wrong.
This organization is active in countries where large families and children are valued, which is why abortion (and to a lesser extent, birth control) are stigmatized. It;s hard to “sell” abortion in third world countries, unless, of course they are highly westernized. I don’t have any problem with providing safe, non-coercive birth control, or course, but I would bet that NOTHING about fetal development, or what is really being aborted, is told to these women,
The articles about the women who had abortions say that they are happy about their abortions because they are able to continue to go to school, work, etc. But why can’t women go to school, work, etc. and be pregnant at the same time?
Also, they quote statistics from WHO and the Alan Guttmacher Institute about maternal deaths from unsafe abortions. I would like to know how they compute these figures in countries where abortion is illegal.
It would be interesting to talk to these women six months or a year down the line, after the reporters have gone, and see how they feel.
The stigma in these two particular women’s cases is the fact that they were raped, which doesn’t necessarily translate into sympathy from the community.
A medicine man is interviewed, as well as a woman who self-aborted multiple times. They show the suctions that are used.
At one point, the two women (girls, really) are waiting for their second trimester abortions, their pregnancies being physically obvious.
Ipas: There’s nothing altruistic, compassionate or noble in advocating for abortion.
I didn’t watch the documentary. That really is heartbreaking, Carder. It’s a shame that women are still being stigmatized for being sexually assaulted when it’s NEVER their fault.
But if it’s just a “blob” or whatever inside there, why is the procedure “more upsetting” for everyone involved?
Again we see a big fail when it comes to rape. Abortion advocates do nothing whatsoever to alleviate the pain and aftermath of rape. They think that killing the baby is all that’s needed. Maybe helping the rape victims is just too hard and complicated, but killing a baby is easy because babies are very small and don’t fight back. Abortion fans, as usual, advocate for only one thing. It doesn’t hold the perps responsible, doesn’t create a more tolerant atmosphere for rape victims, and doesn’t do anything to prevent women from being raped by perps in the future.
Ninek, you hit the nail on the head. These girls were raped. Where is the justice? Were these rapists taken off the street? Was counseling given to these girls to cope with the rape? Nope. Just come here, spread your legs and let us scrape your child out of your womb while we LIE to you and say “We are going to clean your womb”. That is what the abortionist actually said to the girls. Abortion= cleaning the womb? The one girl actually says “being a woman is how God created me. There is nothing to be done about it.” Talk about misogyny! Abortion creates the mindset in women that pregnancy and femininity is somehow something we must suffer with… that it sucks but its how we were made unfortunately and there is nothing we can do about it!
He did say that, didn’t he, Sydney?
I would ask Lisa Russell, the one who made the documentary, why she didn’t show footage of the womb being cleansed.
These are poor, uneducated young women — I wonder if they knew what exactly was being “cleansed?” These obviously weren’t early abortions.
I don’t know if I can watch it, I tend to get upset about things like this.
“This organization is active in countries where large families and children are valued, which is why abortion (and to a lesser extent, birth control) are stigmatized.”
Wait wait wait. Let’s take this analysis to its logical conclusion. Large familes are valued in Ethiopia at the expense of devaluing women. In so many parts of the world, a woman’s worth lies in her ability to make babies. Ethiopia’s one of those places. Violence against women is rampant there. How do you think privileging a fetus’ absolute right to life would help a woman overcome the trauma of rape? I’m serious. I can absolutely understand if a woman in this situation would elect to keep the pregnancy. But if she did want an abortion and couldn’t access one, wouldn’t this unwanted pregnancy feel like a continued assault on her body? (I know this is how I would feel in that situation).
I’d also like to know what stats you’ve got on rape in countries where abortion is illegal. Are women more respected in places like Ireland and Chile?
It is sad that their response to the stigma of rape is to kill the innocent child and possibly harm the mother.
Megan, I don’t think that women are devalued by having large families. Ethiopia and Kenya as well as many other African countries have a culture that loves families and children. It is an western construct that African women are somehow devalued because they have many children. I think what would be more helpful to African women is to improve their maternal health and offer them the ability to space their children. The second most important thing is to stablize the continent politically so that rape, which is used as a weapon in the numerous conflicts is reduced. I think any man who rapes a woman should be executed. This will help to eliminate this problem.
It’s time to stop blaming the victim and to start punishing the perps.
Megan,
It’s not about privileging fetuses a right to life it is acknowledging that they have one. If the fetus is a human being then they do have an absolute right to life and a right is not something that is privleged it is something you inherently deserve. So giving birth to the unborn isn’t just about helping the woman recover from rape (although I believe that’s a vital part of it) it’s about granting the unborn the right to live. I am sorry to the women that feel like pregnancy is an assault to their body but this is something they need help and support for, they need to see preganncy as the beauty that it is, even if it happened in a tragic way, there is something beautiful that can come from it. It may be hard for some people to have this perspective but this is how society needs to think They need to be reminded that the unborn are victims in this situation too and they also need our love and support. This may be easier in Ethipia as they don’t all have the western mentality towards the unborn that America has.
Based on the quote, it doesn’t look like it’s a need to have large families that are being valued here so much as the life of each unborn child, naturally if you live in a society that values large families you tend to see the value of each child’s life, so I guess it goes hand in hand.
You ask how can giving a fetus the right to life help a woman overcome rape? Well for a lot of women, there is comfort in taking care of a child, it can bring them incredible joy. A lot of people see children as an invaluable gift and an innocent life, I would think this view is compatible with a society that values large families.
How would aborting a fetus help overcome the trauma of rape? Studies have shown that most of the women who have aborted because of rape feel some serious guilt afterwards and for some it supercedes the trauma of being raped. Besides that, aborting the fetus can not do anything to take away the suffering of rape. It will not serve as some sort of counseling it can only stand to make things worst. The discomfort of pregnancy is only temporary but the guilt can last forever. These women need counseling and comfort, they need love and support. Killing their child is no solution.
maternal health improvements…my thoughts exactly Angel!
phillymiss,
Don’t worry, it’s not graphic where they show the moment of truth. It does show the prepping for the abortion, though.
Quite different from the abortionist in Spain who was filmed by an undercover journalist and actually showed the second trimester baby being pushed out, blood, guts, and all.
Ya’ll remember that?
Maybe that’s what needs to go in the next “I Stand with Planned Parenthood” ad.
Megan, I don’t think that women are devalued by having large families. Ethiopia and Kenya as well as many other African countries have a culture that loves families and children. It is an western construct that African women are somehow devalued because they have many children.
Agreed. Many in the West can’t understand this. The elderly are also valued in many developing countries. Many people in Asia, Africa, Latin America, etc., would NEVER think of putting their aged parents in some kind of home, even if they are very ill. In countries that have been Westernized, however, this is changing.