An Ivorian association to help pregnant women accused of them discourage abortion. This is revealed by a investigation by British media openDemocracy published on February 24 on the Etoile du Matin center based in Abidjan. Which, according to the investigation, has links with Heartbeat International, an American anti-abortion group.
“Abortion is murder”
A senator worried about the presence of such a center in Côte d’Ivoire and several testimonies from women led an openDemocracy journalist to investigate Etoile du Matin, “pregnancy crisis center”, as he defines itself. The journalist pretended to be a woman wishing to have an abortion after being raped by her uncle. “Abortion is murder. Murder is punishable by law”told her in particular an adviser who received her before providing her with “misinformation about laws and medical facts regarding abortion“.
“The law is clear: a woman who has been raped has the right to an abortion. This NGO attacks women’s rights…the government must act to dismantle these groups.”
Carelle-Laetitia Goly, Ivorian lawyer and women’s rights activistopenDemocracy
On his Facebook pageEtoile du Matin – which also advises against contraception – declares: “Pregnant and desperate, you want to talk to someone? We are here for you. Without judging you, we lend you an attentive ear” above hashtags #ProLifeMouvement #NoToAbortion #YesForLife. Contacted by openDemocracy and AFP, the Morning Star declined to respond.
Centers identified in West Africa
According to openDemocracy, Morning Star is “affiliate” to the association Heartbeat International, based in Ohio and close to former President Donald Trump, as well as to theAssociation for Life of Africaa Zambia-based anti-abortion organization financially supported by Heartbeat, whose “the objective is to create a regional network to promote alternatives to abortion”.
Yes openDemocracy had shown early 2020 the presence of these centers providing anti-abortion and anti-contraception advice in 18 countries, including South Africa, others have since been identified in French-speaking countries in West Africa, such as Cameroon , Ivory Coast and Togo.
Up to 300,000 abortions each year
“Scaring or making women feel guilty should not be tolerated in a country where clandestine abortions are a leading cause of maternal mortality”told openDemocracy Nènè Fofana-Cissé, former director for West and Central Africa of the American NGO EngenderHealth specializing in sexual health issues.
Abortion is punishable by six months to two years in prison under the Ivorian penal code, but it is legal if the life of the mother or the fetus is threatened or if the pregnancy is the result of rape. Despite the illegal nature of abortion in Côte d’Ivoire, there are between 200,000 and 300,000 abortions each year in the country, according to the sources.
