“Every nine seconds, an unsafe abortion puts a woman’s life
at risk in West and Central Africa.”
Every woman and girl should have the right to make decisions about her own body and health. Yet millions are denied this right, often forced to seek unsafe abortion care. The consequences are devastating: maternal mortality, preventable injuries and countless futures cut short. This study uncovers the barriers women face, amplifies victim-survivors’ voices and provides evidence to inform policies and interventions that make safe, accessible care a reality.
This comparative study, across West and Central Africa, reveals the gap between rights and realities and the failure to protect women and girls from the devastating consequences of unsafe abortion – even when pregnancy was the result of rape or incest, when safe abortion is legally permitted. The report, led by Rutgers in the Netherlands and CERRHUD in Benin, is the first to link sexual violence and unsafe abortion across West and Central Africa, uncovering how survivors face a “maze” of barriers blocking them from lawful, safe care. Proof requirements that retraumatise, health workers unsure of the law, procedural delays, and deep-rooted stigma drive women to unsafe methods.
The study was done by Rutgers and CERRHUD in Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Togo and Cameroon.
It was presented by Yvonne Bogaarts of Rutgers to the Safe Abortion Network Europe meeting on 13 November 2025.
SOURCE: The Maze Women Face: Stuck Between Rights and Reality – Rutgers International. Co-funded by the European Union.
FULL REPORT: Full-report-Maze-Women-Face-Rutgers-ENG.pdf (70 pp.)