This month in history

1 February 1997: The Choice of Termination Pregnancy made legal

From February 1 1997, the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act was made legal by the Parliament of South Africa, granting unrestricted access to abortion to any woman no more than 13 weeks pregnant. The act was dubbed one of the most “liberal abortion laws in the world”.

The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act was enacted to protect reproductive health rights by providing safe abortion access. Under democracy, the right to abortion access is protected by the Constitution and Bill of rights, which says reproductive rights are a basic human right. (Sahistory.org)