Navigating the politics of backlash: abortion rights and the Safe Motherhood Bill in Sierra Leone

This working paper examines the political dynamics surrounding abortion rights and the Safe Motherhood Bill in Sierra Leone. It forms part of a wider research series that investigates the rising trend of anti-gender backlash targeting sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR).

Context and Focus

Sierra Leone presents a complex environment where efforts to advance SRHR, particularly safe abortion access, encounter significant political resistance. The backlash stems from entrenched social, cultural, and religious beliefs, which often frame abortion in moral terms and fuel opposition to legislative reforms.

Key Issues Addressed

The challenges in advocating for the Safe Motherhood Bill, which aims to improve maternal health outcomes.
The resistance from political and religious actors who equate abortion rights with moral decay.
How gender norms and power structures influence the framing and reception of sexual and reproductive health policies.

Quotations Highlight

"Anti-gender backlash significantly disrupts sexual and reproductive health advancements by mobilizing political and social opposition grounded in conservative and religious ideologies."

"In Sierra Leone, debates over abortion rights reveal deeper struggles over gender, power, and control in society."

Analysis

The paper shows how backlash is not purely about policy disagreements but is part of broader struggles over social values and power relations. Activists and policymakers face the urgent task of navigating these contentious landscapes to promote maternal health and women’s rights.

Author’s summary: This paper highlights how abortion rights advocacy in Sierra Leone is challenged by deep-rooted political and cultural opposition, revealing the intersection of gender, power, and health policy struggles.

ODI: Think change — 2025-11-24