Rare protest in Angola as 200 march for abortion rights
March 20, 2017
About 200 demonstrators protested under heavy police surveillance in the Angolan capital Luanda against a draft law criminalising all abortions.
The proposed new penal code has been sharply criticised, including by Isabel dos Santos, the daughter of veteran President José Eduardo dos Santos.
The mostly female protesters chanted “Freedom for women”, “Prison will not solve anything” and “Let us decide” on Saturday, before dispersing after about two hours.
Public protests are rare in Angola and are often targeted by Angola’s security forces, but the peaceful march was allowed by authorities.
The draft penal code, currently before parliament, punishes anyone who has an abortion or performs one with up to 10 years in jail.
“The government or lawmakers have no right to decide whether we must have a child or not,” said marcher Lauranda Gouveia. “If this law is passed, women who get pregnant after rape will have the choice of trauma, prison or possible death after a clandestine abortion,” added Sizaltia Cutaia, of the local Open Society activism group.
