If the Senate votes to expand abortion, and the passes through the necessary steps to become law, Liberia would join a handful of African countries to become a leader in reproductive rights in the sub-region. With support from the Ministry of Health and UNFPA, most of the lawmakers are said to be in favor of the expansion of abortion rights and birth control. However, in his statement issued on Sunday in Washington, Rep. Smith, known for his conservative views, said, “bortion takes the life of an unborn child, who can feel the pain of abortion, and abortion harms the mother psychologically, spiritually and often physically. The Siljander Amendment, passed by Congress in 1981, prohibits the use of funds to lobby for or against abortion. When initially introduced, the amendment prohibited only lobbying for abortion, but in subsequent years, Congress modified the language to include lobbying against abortion as well.

Source: Front Page Africa July 12, 2023 15:57 UTC