The Reproductive Justice Initiative in Nigeria, a network of reproductive health lawyers, is building a world where everyone’s reproductive health and rights are upheld and not undermined by social, economic and political factors.
In a landmark decision in June 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja affirmed that unplanned pregnancies resulting from rape, incest and other forms of sexual violence are a violation of the rights of women and girls.
Ipas Nigeria and the Center for Reproductive Rights supported the Reproductive Justice Initiative Foundation through capacity building and funding, to institute a legal action in the Federal High Court to recognize access to safe abortion as a fundamental human right for survivors of sexual violence.
“The ruling is a welcome development, as this is the first time a superior court in Nigeria has recognized that pregnancies arising from sexual violence not only harm a woman’s physical health but also her mental wellbeing,” says Lucky Palmer, director of the Ipas Nigerian Health Foundation. “The decision represents a critical legal precedent and a significant stride toward safeguarding the bodily autonomy and dignity of women and girls in Nigeria.”
The decision also further supports the provisions of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act that provides for comprehensive medical care for survivors of sexual assault.
SOURCES: Reproductive Justice Initiative News; Ipas News, 23 July 2025; Victory for Women’s Rights: Nigerian Federal High Court Affirms Right to Safe Abortion for Survivors of Sexual Violence: CRR and RJIF Joint Statement, 23 July 2025