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Women and Girls in Borno, Benue, and Oyo States are set to have their Sexual and Reproductive Autonomy Increased

Press Release

Friday, July 28, 2023

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation is pleased to announce partnership with Global Affairs Canada under the project titled – Increasing bodily autonomy, especially sexual and reproductive autonomy, among women and girls in Bolivia, Indonesia, and Nigeria. The Project is aimed at increasing the sexual and reproductive autonomy of women and girls by expanding their access to integrated and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health services and enhancing their ability to make decisions about their own sexual and reproductive health. The project will be implemented in 3 States namely: Oyo, Benue and Borno within a 4-year timeframe.

The Canadian Government has awarded $10 million CAD for programmatic work in Bolivia, Indonesia, and Nigeria to achieve the overall goal of the project.

“Unsafe abortion is one of the most significant and preventable causes of maternal death and injury in Nigeria, which has one of the world’s highest maternal death rates. This grant will help increase knowledge around sexual and reproductive health and ensure women know where to seek care for complications of unsafe abortion,” says Lucky Palmer, director of Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation.

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation will work with a vast range of stakeholders including the Ministries of Health, Justice, Women Affairs and Civil Society Organizations to implement gender transformative interventions to ensure women’s rights to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights are protected.

The project activities will focus on the specific communities with the highest need to advance bodily autonomy, especially sexual and reproductive autonomy. The project will prioritize those women and girls most underserved; those who are poor, young, or unmarried; survivors of violence, displaced, and disabled. Our work will focus on shifting gender norms that perpetuate gender discrimination and reinforce unequal roles, decisions, rights, and opportunities.

Note to Editors

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation works to empower women and girls to have bodily autonomy and exercise their sexual and reproductive health rights. As partners for reproductive justice, we build collective action that transforms societies to enable women, girls, and vulnerable persons manage their fertility and realize their full potential.

Ipas Nigeria Health Foundation is a network member of the global non-profit organization, Ipas, that works worldwide to eliminate deaths and complications from unsafe abortion and increase women’s ability to exercise their sexual and reproductive rights.

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Key Statistics in Nigeria*

  • 4.6% of women of reproductive age (15-49 years) undergo an abortion each year, equaling nearly 2 million abortions annually.
  • More than 6 out of 10 abortions in Nigeria are unsafe.
  • Unsafe abortion contributes about 10% to the total maternal deaths.
  • Only about 1 in every 10 (12%) women of reproductive age are currently using a modern method of family planning, while about 2 in every 10 (17%) are currently using any family planning method.

* Sources:

  • National Population Commission (NPC) [Nigeria] and ICF. 2019. Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey 2018. Abuja, Nigeria, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NPC and ICF.
  • PMA Nigeria Abortion Study (2020) Deaths and Injuries from Unsafe Abortion in Nigeria Entirely Preventable: Timely Action Needed from Government Stakeholders and Advocates. Unsafe Abortion Results, October 2020.