The organization’s leadership has imposed a ban on abortion in all medical institutions run by members of the Rwandan Protestant Council. This was reported on March 2 by the American Catholic portal Crux.
A decision by the Protetan council earlier this month called abortion a sin, in line with Rwanda’s Catholic Church, but contrary to the country’s law, which allows abortion in some cases.
The statement, signed by 26 Protestant religious organizations, calls on parents to “guide” their daughters to refrain from premarital sex.
Previously, abortion was illegal in Rwanda and anyone who aborted or helped terminate a pregnancy was sentenced to prison. But in 2018, the law was amended to allow abortion in cases such as rape, forced marriage, incest, or cases where the pregnancy poses a risk to the woman’s health.
In addition, the law requires that abortions be performed only after consultation with a physician.
“We do not oppose the law, but our faith does not allow us to support abortion”Laurent Mbanda, leader of the Anglican Church in Rwanda.
He said that the best way that the medical institutions that are members of the Council can attend to abortion cases is simply to refer them to other hospitals.
This decision affects about 10% of the largest medical institutions in Rwanda. The Catholic Church owns 30% of the country’s medical centers, most of them in rural areas, said Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, head of the Catholic Church in Rwanda.
At the same time, the Rwandan government considered the Protestant council’s decision on the sensitive issue “undesirable”, a spokesman for Rwanda’s Ministry of Health said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly.
Some human rights groups asked the Protestant Council to reconsider its decision.
Sylvie Nsanga, a leading women’s rights advocate, denounced the religious stance as “disappointing”.
Recall that in 2022 Parliament rejected a bill proposed by some representatives of civil society that would allow girls between the ages of 15 and 18 to access contraceptive services in order to limit adolescent pregnancy. However, some Rwandan lawmakers have said the bill could give teenage girls a “green light” to promiscuity.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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