Government needs rethink on abortion laws_ Lesotho Times_9 April 2015

Name of article: Government needs rethink on abortion laws

Name of publication: Lesotho Times

Country: Lesotho

Date: 9 April 2015

Theme: Reproductive Health

GEM Classification: Blatant Stereotype

Genre: News

Skill: Language

Description: Government needs rethink on abortion laws, is a story written by Lekhetho Ntsukunyane which looks at the governments initiatives to penalize all the illegal abortions and provide suitable health facilities to all the women who want to terminate their pregnancies.

Analysis

The story highlights  the following

• Penalize all the backstreet abortions by enacting stringent laws and provide good health facilities in public hospitals for pregnant women.
• further looks on whether the termination of pregnancies should be determined   by the state or the mother in Lesotho by looking at the analysis in South Africa.

This article is an example of a blatant stereotype which looks at the rights of women and the choices which they make in their own body. Through the analysis made by the Lesotho government on the high rate of illegal abortions made in the country an alternative was made to enact laws on the health of pregnant women.

With the South African frameworks on the illegality of abortions Lesotho from 1996 and how it impacted women, wherein the law stated that abortions were only meant to be done by a medical doctor, registered mid-wife or nurse and further provides that the consent can only come from the expectant mother only and no one else.

This gives rights to women and gives them a voice on how they want their lives to be whether to carry the child till delivery or not.