Publication Cover
Reproductive Health Matters
An international journal on sexual and reproductive health and rights
Volume 18, 2010 - Issue 35: Cosmetic surgery, body image and sexuality
2,045
Views
11
CrossRef citations to date
0
Altmetric
Original Articles

Women’s experiences of the abortion law in Cameroon: “What really matters”

(Medical Doctor)
Pages 137-144 | Published online: 10 Jun 2010
 

Abstract

While prosecutions of women who have had an illegal abortion are rare in Cameroon, women who have a legitimate claim to a legal abortion, e.g. following rape, can rarely take advantage of it. This is because the law in Cameroon is not applied, either when it is violated or when it is indicated. This paper examines the histories of four young women who became pregnant and had an abortion in the Anglophone region of the Cameroon Grassfields. Three of them became pregnant following rape or sexual coercion, in one case by the girl's priest, in the second case by her employer's son, and in the third case by a stranger. The fourth young woman, who sold sex for survival money and food, had two abortions while in prison for committing infanticide following a failed attempt to abort an earlier pregnancy. The four young women were interviewed as part of a qualitative, hospital-based study among 65 women who had had abortions in 1996–97. The women's affecting personal histories illuminate the reality of living under a restrictive abortion law, the troubling conditions in which they have to manage their lives, and the harsh circumstances in which they become pregnant and seek (but may not find) a safe abortion.

Résumé

Si les femmes qui ont avorté illégalement sont rarement poursuivies au Cameroun, celles qui ont une raison légitime de demander un avortement légal, par exemple après un viol, peuvent rarement l'obtenir. C'est parce que la loi au Cameroun n'est pas appliquée, que ce soit en cas d'infraction ou d'indication. Cet article examine les récits de quatre jeunes femmes qui ont avorté dans la région anglophone de Grassfields au Cameroun. Trois d'entre elles sont tombées enceintes après un viol ou une coercition sexuelle, dans un cas par le prêtre de la jeune fille, dans le deuxième cas par le fils de son employeur et dans le troisième cas par un étranger. La quatrième jeune femme, qui se vendait contre des vivres et de l'argent pour subsister, avait avorté à deux reprises alors qu'elle était emprisonnée pour avoir commis un infanticide après avoir précédemment tenté sans succès d'avorter. Les quatre jeunes femmes ont été interrogées dans le cadre d'une étude qualitative menée dans un hôpital auprès de 65 femmes ayant avorté en 1996–97. Les expériences personnelles des femmes illustrent la réalité de la vie sous une législation restrictive en matière d'avortement, les conditions difficiles dans lesquelles elles doivent se prendre en charge et les circonstances pénibles dans lesquelles elles se retrouvent enceintes et demandent (mais n'obtiennent pas forcément) un avortement sûr.

Resumen

Aunque las mujeres que han tenido un aborto ilegal rara vez son enjuiciadas en Camerún, aquéllas que tienen motivos legítimos para tener un aborto legal, por ejemplo después de una violación, rara vez pueden hacerlo. Esto se debe a que la nueva ley de Camerún no se aplica, ya sea cuando es violada o cuando está indicada. En este artículo se examinan las historias de cuatro mujeres jóvenes que quedaron embarazadas y tuvieron un aborto en la región anglohablante de las Praderas de Camerún. Tres de ellas quedaron embarazadas después de una violación o coacción sexual: en un caso por el cura de la joven, en el segundo por el hijo de su empleador y en el tercero por un extraño. La cuarta joven, quien vendía sexo para obtener dinero y alimentos para sobrevivir, tuvo dos abortos mientras estaba en prisión por haber cometido infanticidio tras un intento fracasado de abortar un embarazo anterior. Las cuatro jóvenes fueron entrevistadas como parte de un estudio cualitativo hospitalario entre 65 mujeres que tuvieron un aborto en 1996–97. Las conmovedoras historias personales de las mujeres iluminan la realidad de vivir bajo una ley de aborto restrictiva, las penosas condiciones bajo las cuales tienen que manejar su vida y las duras circunstancias en las que quedan embarazadas y buscan (pero no siempre encuentran) un aborto seguro.

Acknowledgements

The research was supported by a dissertation grant from the German Academic Exchange, and scientifically supported by Hans-Jochen Diesfeld, former Head, Department of Tropical Hygiene and Public Health, University of Heidelberg. I am grateful for the helpful comments of Pamela Feldman-Savelsberg on a previous draft. I would also like to thank all the women who participated in the study and the hospital staff who provided assistance.

Notes

* Communauté Financière Africaine Franc (CFA). 2 million CFA is equivalent to around US$4,200.

* From Article 38 of the French Decree 1955, introducing the “Code of medical ethics”, as quoted in Cheka.Citation4

† This notion of what really matters to ordinary people is shaped by Arthur Kleinman's book: What Really Matters: Living a Moral Life amidst Uncertainty and Danger.Citation7

** For further details of the full study, see Schuster.Citation3Citation8

†† All names are pseudonyms.

* Article 337. Cameroon Penal Code. Quoted in Cheka.Citation4

† For example, there was a newspaper report of a girl who was observed by a boy to have delivered a child beside a stream, into which he said she dropped the newborn. He alerted other villagers. Although attempts to find the baby failed, the case was brought to court.Citation9

* The women often could not describe the instruments used to perform their abortions. Sometimes their abortions took place in the dark.

Reprints and Corporate Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

To request a reprint or corporate permissions for this article, please click on the relevant link below:

Academic Permissions

Please note: Selecting permissions does not provide access to the full text of the article, please see our help page How do I view content?

Obtain permissions instantly via Rightslink by clicking on the button below:

If you are unable to obtain permissions via Rightslink, please complete and submit this Permissions form. For more information, please visit our Permissions help page.