In a landmark ruling, Zimbabwe’s High Court has declared a law that prohibits abortion services for women raped by their husbands and girls under the age of 18 as unconstitutional. The ruling, delivered by Judge Maxwell Takuva on Nov. 22 and made public recently, emphasized that victims of rape should have the right to access abortion services if they become pregnant.
Zimbabwe has strict abortion laws that only allow the procedure in limited circumstances, such as when the woman's life is in danger or in cases of severe physical or mental defects in the fetus. However, the law previously denied abortion services to girls under 18, despite criminalizing sex with minors.
