Girls Activist Youth Organisation (GAYO) and Her Liberty say the media has a crucial role in reporting on challenges young women face after opting for unsafe abortion.
The two organisations made the call during a day-long media orientation on unsafe abortion reporting among young women.
Her Liberty Project Manager, Kattie Mikwala, said many young women die due to unsafe abortions while some are leaving with serious problems following safe abortion
She observed that some young women take overdose drugs to terminate pregnancy while others use herbs, thereby resulting in serious complications to the extent of removing their uterus.
According to Mikwala, research has shown that 18% of women die annually due to unsafe termination of pregnancy, adding that another research shows that between January to June, 64 young women terminated pregnancies in Zomba using unsafe Abortion and are currently receiving medical treatment.
She said from January to June 2024, 73 young women terminated pregnancy using unsafe abortion, adding this has been known after visiting health facilities in the district to seek medical attention.
She, therefore, appealed to Zomba-based media to take responsibility for writing about safe abortion on top of advocating for a law that should allow women to terminate pregnancy using recommended ways and means to avoid death.
“We want to work with the media, and we believe they have the capacity and ability to write more about safe ways of terminating pregnancy among young women,” she added.
GAYO Programme Manager, Gilbert M’bwana observed that many young women die while others suffer serious complications due to unsafe termination of pregnancy
She also called on the media to write more about safe abortion so that young women should know where to get the necessary help if they want to terminate pregnancy.
GAYO and Her Liberty are implementing a project on Unsafe Abortion with support from Amplify Change in Senior Chief Malenia in Zomba, and the organisations would want to reach out to about 5000 youths.
One of the participating reporters, Lauryn M’banga from Yoneco FM, said the orientation was relevant and pledged to write more on safe termination of pregnancy now that she got the right information on safe abortion.
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