According to the latest data collected by Algerian Association for Family Planning, between 200 to 300 secret abortion cases are taking place annually in Algeria.
Algerian Authorities changed the abortion law in 2018 to only grant a woman the right to a healthy and safe abortion in certain conditions including whether “her life or her psychological and mental balance is in danger due to pregnancy,” the Mediterranean Network for Feminist Information (Medfeminiswiya) reported.
According to the latest amended law, abortion is only approved when there is a definite prenatal diagnosis that the embryo or fetus has a serious disease or deformity that does not allow it to grow normally. Furthermore, an abortion in Algeria is allowed in public hospitals and that women must get permission before undergoing the surgery.
However, most Algerian women turn to secret abortions when one of these reasons is absent. The country’s Association for Family Planning suggests that around 200 to 300 secret abortions are carried out every year in Algeria while abortion complications are responsible for the death of 80 women. The data varies each year and differs between rural or urban areas.
حين أُقرّ قانون الصحة الجزائري عام 2018، استقبله المراقبون/ات بحفاوة إذ رأوا فيه تقدّماً هاماً باتجاه منح الحق في الإجهاض في الجزائر. غير أنّ هذا النص لن يحمل أيّ تطوّر ثوري طالما أنّ مبدأ المنع القاطع ما زال حاضراً فيه، وبقوّة.
— Daraj درج (@Daraj_media) November 16, 2021
- @medfeminiswiyahttps://t.co/rQ6lQO05XZ
Women who have the necessary tools for abortion usually turn to countries abroad such as in Europe or Tunisia, which are considered as "rescue areas" for them from the tragedy of motherhood that takes place outside marriage.
On the other hand, other women who aren’t able to go outside Algeria usually search for a local doctor or nurse who agrees to illegally perform a secret abortion at an exorbitant cost ranging between 10,000 and 70,000 Algerian dinars.
حين أُقرّ قانون الصحة الجزائري عام 2018، استقبله المراقبون/ات بحفاوة إذ رأوا فيه تقدّماً هاماً باتجاه منح الحق في الإجهاض في الجزائر. غير أنّ هذا النص لن يحمل أيّ تطوّر ثوري طالما أنّ مبدأ المنع القاطع ما زال حاضراً فيه، وبقوّة. https://t.co/AEhGBqdfkr
— Nadia chaabane (@nadiachaabane) November 16, 2021
Algerian law states outside of the two specific abortion cases, the practice of abortion remains within the scope of Article 304 of the Penal Code, which states “whoever aborts a pregnant or presumed pregnant woman by giving her food, drinks, or medicines, or by using violent methods or acts, or by any other means, whether she consents to it or if you do not agree or initiate this, the person will be punished by imprisonment from one to five years and pay a fine starting from 500 and up to 10,000 dinars, and if the abortion leads to death, the penalty will be imprisonment from 10 to 20 years…”
