Segment 1

VOICEOVER

Across the world, unsafe abortion is the cause of 13 percent of maternal deaths, with millions more women left injured, disabled, or infertile. In South Africa, abortion is legal up to 20 weeks, and can be accessed for free at government clinics. But cultural taboos mean that women still risk their lives with secret but unsafe abortions.

BRENDA [Worker, Marie Stopes Clinic]

Good Day. I'm Brenda from the Marie Stopes Clinic.

VOICEOVER

Brenda works in the community, educating people about sexual and reproductive health.

BRENDA

I feel passion about it because it's my mission to help women to educate themselves, to know their rights. So I want women to be independent, to have a say.

VOICEOVER

A big part of her mission is putting a stop to the practice of unsafe abortion.

BRENDA

It's not easy really to talk about abortion. Because our culture, we don't talk about our sexuality, our private parts. It's very sensitive issues. So I find out that most women, they don't know about all the contraceptives. They don't know much about termination. They don't know who to talk to.

VOICEOVER

With no one to talk to, pregnant girls can end up making risky decisions, like getting an illegal abortion. Brenda decides to pose as a girl who's passed the legal date for abortion and calls up an illegal provider.

DR. LESEGO

Hello.

BRENDA

Hello doctor. Good day.

DR. LESEGO

Good day.

BRENDA

I'm pregnant. I want to have an abortion.

DR. LESEGO

For how many months?

BRENDA

I'm 6 months pregnant. What are you going to do to me?

DR. LESEGO

Some pills.

BRENDA

Some pills. I'm going to drink the pills?

DR. LESEGO

Yes. The one, you're going to drink it. The other one is going to go in your private parts. So you must squeeze it there and it comes out as a piece of blood. It's going to come in the pieces of blood.

BRENDA

Oh, in the pieces of blood.

DR. LESEGO

Yes.

BRENDA

Six months pregnant! A pill? I don't think so. He doesn't even ask about the medical history or something. You can't do that as a qualified doctor.

VOICEOVER

Determined to make young people aware of this problem, Brenda visits a local college with 19-year-old volunteer Pinky, whose friend fell prey to one of the con men.

PINKY

I've got a friend, she went for an abortion. When we got there, it was, like, there were steps and rooms, lots of them.

BRENDA

Little passages?

PINKY

It was really dark in there. This is the room we have to go in. On the other side there was a slum. We got in the room. The guy didn't ask us ...

BRENDA

How far you are?

PINKY

Nothing! No! So, she did it. She went inserted pills under the vagina. When she got home there were all these pains and the little baby came out. She went to school, bleeding. That's when the parents knew, that's when the boyfriend knew that she did the abortion. She went back, and they wanted more money. She didn't have money, so she got sick.

GIRL

Maybe that unsafe abortion, it can damage something inside, unlike safe abortions.

BRENDA

Sometimes, the pills are mixed with, um, donkey dung, and, yes, they put it inside the vagina. So, just imagine these things are going to end up causing an infection inside. You understand? Sometimes, the abortion doesn't even happen. You are still pregnant, and now you have an infection. Thank you guys. The only thing we would like to see you do is to educate the youth about these issues. Be a role model. Thank you guys!

VOICEOVER

Brenda will continue to educate women about their reproductive rights. Modern contraception is vital, but unintended pregnancies will happen and women must be educated and empowered to avoid unsafe abortions.

BRENDA

This is not safe. For women, it's not safe. They're the only ones who terminate. So, as a woman, as a mother, this is not right for your health.

INTERVIEWER

So you're not going to stop?

BRENDA

No, I'm not going to stop. I think I've just started.

TITLE

Make Women Matter. Made in partnership with Marie Stopes International, European Union.