In Benin, abortion is legal on relatively broad grounds: to protect the woman’s life or health, in cases of rape or incest, in cases of severe foetal anomaly, and (since a 2021 reform) at the woman’s request before 12 weeks of pregnancy, where continuing the pregnancy would cause material, educational, professional or moral distress. This makes Benin’s law one of the most progressive in West Africa. Yet the gap between law and lived reality remains wide: most women still face unsafe procedures or private clinics at costs out of reach for many, in a country where 20 percent of the population lives in extreme poverty. Rural areas, home to 50 percent of the population, face a double burden: scarce health workers and poor infrastructure. Compounding everything is deep social stigma and the absence of reliable abortion data in the national health information system.
Our work
Our work focuses on three critical levers: improving data availability to inform decision-making, reducing stigma for both providers and women seeking care, and strengthening health facilities to deliver comprehensive abortion care. We train providers across all 34 health zones, support hospitals in improving care quality and management, and advocate for legal reform to expand access.
Our vision
Our partners are CNGOB and COJAS-Benin. Our long-term vision is a Benin where adolescents, young women, and women of all backgrounds fully enjoy their right to safe abortion. In the shorter term, we are working toward at least 50 percent of women having real access to information and services, and a 5 percent reduction in maternal mortality linked to unsafe abortion.
