Benin Celebrates International Safe Abortion Day - In Photos

benin graphic

As part of the celebration of the International Day of Safe Abortion (JIAS) 2020, the National College of Obstetrician Gynecologists of Benin (CNGOB) conducted a webinar on the 27th of September, a ceremony on the 28th September, and a meeting with representatives of six regions on the 29th September. They brought together respectively 24, 21 and 17 participants of various backgrounds/status and origin.

Benin stakeholders
Photo with stakeholders, including the Vice-President and other representatives of CNGOB, the Network Lead, the President of the Association des Sages-Femmes du Bénin (ASFB), the representative of the Association des Femmes Jurists of Benin (AFJB), with the presence of PSI, WiLDAF Benin, ABPF, NGO GBEWA, IPAS, MAJ (Mouvement d'Action des Jeunes), MS4C (Medical Students for Choice) and ILEWA.
September 28, 2020, at the headquarters of the College in Cotonou.

The activities began in Benin on Sunday September 27, 2020 with the Webinar, which brought together 24 participants made up of members of the CNGOB executive board, stakeholders, regional focal points, and youth movements, represented by MS4C and ILEWA. This webinar focused on the international, regional and local legal environment around safe abortion.

The celebration itself for the International Day for Safe Abortion took place on Monday, September 28, 2020. The communication focused on a summary of the Advocating for Safe Abortion project with emphasis on the achievements, and the relevant Laws in Benin, 2003-04, & Law No. 08 of 08/12 / 2015 on the children's code.

As part of this ceremony, Vice-President Dr Emmanuel Ewagnignon reaffirmed the commitment of the CNGOB to improve women's access to comprehensive abortion care in Benin, by reassuring the actors that the organisation is in a continuous drive to broaden and strengthen the partnership, and to overcome barriers to the provision of sexual and reproductive health & rights services. He ended his intervention on a note of hope by urging all partners to be ready for 2021! 

On September 29, 2020, in the historic capital of Benin in Abomey, members of Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) from six out of twelve regions, reaffirmed their commitment to support advocacy for safe abortion in Benin. They will start with raising awareness among health workers not only to reduce the stigmatisation towards women requesting sexual and reproductive health services, but also to negotiate meetings with local elected officials in their localities to present to them the drawbacks and risks associated with illegal abortions. 

group photo
The actors here are mostly obstetrician gynecologists and general practitioners from both the public and private sectors, all members of the departmental TWGs.

 

Project Management Unit
The Project Management Unit (PMU), on the left Pierrette, on the right, Sylvia and in the middle Raphaël