Nearly a decade after abortion became legal in Ethiopia, women often still have trouble finding safe and affordable access.
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia — Khadija, 29, was a domestic worker in Bahrain when she was raped in circumstances she preferred not to replay. She became pregnant, and by June it began to show. She knew then she had to go. Desperate, Khadija (who declined to have her real name used) called a friend back home in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital, who told her about a clinic that could help.
At the clinic in late June, Khadija wrung her hands in pain as the pill moved through her system, inducing abortion and causing cramps and abdominal pain. She had not told her husband about the rape or the abortion. She was making this move on her own.
Khadija kept saying how lucky she felt. And statistically, she was. A decade ago, she couldn't have had the procedure, at least not legally. Ethiopia legalized abortion in certain cases in 2005. That year, botched abortion contributed to about one-third of maternal deaths in Ethiopia — and that's according to government figures, which are likely to be conservative. Today, the reported rate is closer to a quarter, though many more are likely never even spoken about.
Miriam Berger for BuzzFeed
Miriam Berger for BuzzFeed
Miriam Berger for BuzzFeed
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