The cyberbullying that we, as Liberians, continue to use to voice our sometimes controversial opinions needs to stop. This piece is dedicated to all ‘my leh geh dem’ hiding behind the house to takor belleh because dey na wan sin on their hay.
“Takor belleh.”
“Spoil dey belleh.”
“Move leh belleh.”
Interestingly, in a series of online attacks, Liberians pointed out takor’in belleh (abortion) la sin. To that I say, “La leh only sin yor see?!”
La na sin to lie like this? Yor wor na talk’in like dis when yor lie to yor wives, broke marriage vows or gave somebody daughter belleh oo… La na na ley Christian cole dem wan jump in leh fries, calling abortion sin.
Leh talk about the access to abortion. When was the last time somebody God Pa, who sitt’in down in the Lesgislature, brought a bill that called for safe abortions or care after?
That a man, who is in the position of power will coerce a young woman into “takor’in belleh” so nonchalantly, is at the center of the issue we are yet to discuss. Older men casually stepping out on their wives and kids to sleep with young women (consensual or not), with continuous lack of respect for the family, are the leading causes for these pregnancies. Are we to ignore the power dynamics at play here? The audacity of our society to so easily shift the blame on the young woman infuriates me!
“Yor wor there, ley plenty times ley people wor in the room?”
“La yor wor there? If belleh wor na coming to come from there, yor wor coming to care?”
Unsafe abortions lead to the death of so many of our young women. The medical procedures and access aside, just the stigma associated with abortions in Liberia needs to be addressed. Our young women will rather take the risk of a backdoor procedure using rusty syringes and herbs than to make it public or seek medical help. With the medical route, abortions are restricted to doctor’s discretion, even in instances rape, incest, or it is proven thta the child/pregnancy threatens the woman’s health. So, abortions are not allowed based on the request or for any other reasons. Basically, the state decides women cannot do what they want with their body unless they get a doctor to say the baby will kill them. An international NGO, Clinton Health Access Initiative, surveyed Liberian women, from teens to about 50 years old, and reported that. 1 in 10 Liberian women who took the survey had undergone unsafe abortion practices. ONE in TEN!
“So, to takor belleh dah na small ting! Den yor mon add sin on top eh- Chay! La your aunty, cousin, sisters and daughters dem. La dey sin dey carrying in der hay dem Bor you God?”
Planned Parenthood of Liberia reported having girls come in after failed attempts to do it themselves leaving them with permanent damages. Backdoor operations in drug stores are constantly playing abortion clinics. These places risk the lives of young women all in the name of not “takor’in the belleh”. Our women and girls would rather die than be judged by their communities. What does that say about the community?
La ley same community wher geh rapist pastors, teachers eating students for grades, church mothers charging for praying oil and even police raping victims in their custody oh, but yor na saying anything about that one. La dis same community online passing judgements about a WhatsApp audio that a young woman involved with an older man shared, imagine that?! How dis kinda spoiled community can be calling somebody daughter bad names and telling her da takor’in belleh la sin? Dey other one la na dah sin? How bor sex before marriage or lying about it? Yor way be picking and choosing sin business to suit yor na ehn?
My name is Zuleka and I support the right of women to choose what they want to do with their body. Truth is, unsafe abortions is just another way Liberian women are unprotected. If I say I support abortions, la one make me sinner too?
ANd leh my references here:
www.unfpa.org/sites/default/files/resource-pdf/FINAL_Liberia.pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5156336/
https://abortion-policies.srhr.org/country/liberia/
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/liberia-backstreet-abortions_n_59021196e4b0af6d718c63b8
Authored by: Zuleka
Featured Picture by Ebola in Liberia
