When gender-based violence (GBV) is discussed, often people think of physical, sexual and psychological forms of violence. However, GBV extends beyond direct forms of violence and includes structural and systemic violence, such as restricted access to safe abortion. Limiting safe, legal abortion not only violates bodily autonomy but places women’s health, safety and even lives at risk. This is especially true for those who are marginalized due to intersecting identities.
On 25th November, the Alliance of Women Advocating for Change (AWAC), joined the global community to observe the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence (GBV), culminating in Human Rights Day soon on December 10th. We convened sex worker leaders and community representatives from across Uganda to deliberate on the physical, sexual and psychological forms of violence faced by female sex workers. This included a focus on structural and systemic violence, such as restricted access to safe abortion in Uganda.
During the discussions, participants highlighted that abortion restrictions not only deny them their right to health but also exacerbate their vulnerability to all forms of violence during and after seeking abortion care.
Sex worker leaders shared stories from their communities which uncovered how restrictions to abortion access are undeniably a form of GBV.
They outlined particularly dreadful consequences for women and marginalized individuals with multiple and intersecting vulnerabilities.
“Sex workers meet clients who refuse to use condoms. Some pierce the condoms and some rape them and they end up getting pregnant – something they did not plan for. Such sex workers in most cases have no information and access to contraception and will always want to terminate the pregnancy but when that is denied, it tortures them emotionally, economically and even mentally. More so, most of them end up having unsafe abortions which enhances their emotional and physical pain”.
Sex worker leader, Wakiso District
Sex workers pinned law enforcers, policy makers, partners of pregnant persons, parents and community leaders for preventing those seeking abortions, making them perpetrators of such violence. Unfortunately, in all the country GBV statistics, abortion related GBV is not documented anywhere nor do those who face abortion related GBV have any redresses from authorities and offenders.
In Uganda, cultural norms and restrictive laws create an environment where GBV thrives unchecked.
Women and girls who make autonomous decisions about their bodies often face backlash from society and those around them. The restriction of access to safe abortion is explicitly gendered, impacting only those who can become pregnant – predominantly women, but also trans men and nonbinary individuals. Moreso, those structurally placed at society’s peripheries. For trans men that endure corrective rape, the structural violence of restricted abortion is like a reward to the perpetrator and a traumatic experience for the GBV survivor.
Without access to safe abortion, the weight of an unplanned and unwanted pregnancy falls solely on the pregnant person, impacting their physical, emotional and economic well-being. The societal and legal restrictions that limit abortion access are often designed and upheld by patriarchal structures. This reinforces a gendered power imbalance where women, especially those marginalised by the same patriarchal structures, are denied agency over their own bodies.
Restricting abortion is a denial of bodily autonomy and it is a form of coercion.
Forced pregnancy subjects individuals to life-altering outcomes that they did not consent to, while the consequences – such as forced motherhood, interrupted education, health risks and economic strains fall exclusively on the person carrying the pregnancy. This targeting of women and gender minorities underscores the gendered discrimination in abortion restrictions, which perpetuates systemic inequality and GBV.
Moreso, abortion restrictions disproportionately impact marginalized groups who face unique challenges in seeking and accessing healthcare. For example, sex workers are already criminalised and stigmatized, facing significant barriers to accessing health services. Because of their already marginalized status, many are forced into unsafe abortion practices. Societal stigma surrounding abortion amplifies the discrimination faced by these marginalized groups. This stigma enforces silence and isolation, making such individuals feel ashamed for seeking control over their own sexual and reproductive health.
Abortion-related stigma is a form of psychological violence that creates an environment of shame, guilt and fear, particularly for those who are already marginalized.
Sex workers reported that they endure emotional trauma, anxiety and depression from being rejected from, or discriminated against when they undergo or even seek abortion services. Notably, one said that “Women, including sex workers, face emotional violence while trying to find solutions to the problems or challenges faced during the abortion processes”. Another added that “Some women face sexual violence from their partners if they get to know that you did an abortion. This stems from the fact that government says that it is wrong to do an abortion”. Such statements are clear indications that, restricting abortion is not only a form of violence but also a driver of violence.
As such, to combat GBV, we ought to think comprehensively focusing on inclusive reproductive rights, including access to safe and legal abortion. Denying these rights perpetuates systemic violence and erodes efforts to dismantle the power dynamics that sustain GBV. The fight against GBV is a fight for the fundamental human right to live free from violence, discrimination and stigma. It is a fight for equality, dignity, freedoms and justice for ALL.
By Resty M.K, Esther Chandiru, John Dei and Editah Kamagara at the Alliance of Women Advocating for Change, a SAAF grantee partner in Uganda.