Babies and their mothers in Kenya *trigger warning* graphic content in link

[Lowhum]

The DM is reporting on the desperate plight of women denied abortion in Kenya. I will post the link in the next comment. Please be aware that the article could be triggering.

Most of us who read MN live in countries where women are given the right to choose. Some say that women have their rights now so we should quit moaning and be grateful for what we have. Some say that we should move over and hand some of those rights back.

But I can’t just move over. When I read something like this, I can’t comprehend how desperate these women must be. I can’t understand how anyone would want to reduce a woman / mother to being a ‘carrier’.

This only happens to women.

www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-7722865/Desperate-women-denied-abortions-Kenya-using-COCA-COLA-kill-babies.html

What an awful article. The plight of these women and children is dreadful.

There was that recent case in India where a parent was found burying an unwanted baby girl alive.

For a time in Asia and Africa, they would feed unwanted babies (girls) lethal doses of opium, believing it to be "humane".

People all over the globe go to desperate measures to get rid of the burden of an unwanted baby.

Kenyan health care is closely tied in with the church, so abortion is not available.

I am a bit suspicious as to why the Daily Mail is focussing on the Coca Cola aspect. They'll also be using Lucozade, Red Bull, basically anything. Has someone at Coca Cola pissed off the CEO of the Daily Mail or something?

GC, I thought that too regarding Coca Cola.

I didn’t know that about the opium. It is just so awfully sad.

The only comment on the DM at the time I posted the link was along the lines of ‘contraception is freely available.’ I don’t think that comment was naive, it seems like clever trolling.

I can tell you that contraception is NOT freely available. As PP said much healthcare is delivered by churches (mission hospitals) who don't provide contraception. Sometimes you can but stuff in the marketplace, but that isn't a reliable or safe solution and besides you need money for that which many women don't have.

Eugh.
Yeah, just blame the woman or girl for getting pregnant from rape, because she didn't walk for miles to get her "free" contraception.

The comments now are on the whole sympathetic and sensible apart from the first one which does look like trolling.

The article linked to a Telegraph article.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/infanticide-in-kenya/

Kenya has a high incidence of rape. Too high. To the point where the families who can afford it send their daughters abroad as soon as possible. Add the lack of access to abortions and poor women will resort to illegal abortions and infanticide - they have no other option.

Hopefully now that Coca Cola and other fizzy drink manufacturers have been mentioned they will be able to put pressure on the Kenyan government to change their policy.