Editor, I would like to commend Joseph Rwagatare for his article in The New Times, March 27, titled “Rwandans debate abortion: Let women also have their say”.The article was very well written and it is obvious the author has done his research. It is the woman who has to ultimately make the decision to terminate her pregnancy. It is never an easy decision to make. There is no reason why men should be the ones to determine that when a woman aborts she has committed a criminal offence.Neither should the religious hijack the debate or whatever decision the country should make. They have no capacity to rationally discuss the topic; their views are well-known and will never change. And no matter how hard government would try to hold the “fathers” of these babies accountable for their support and care it will never happen. We see this everyday here in Canada. Is it better for the baby to be born and then abandoned or killed because the mother cannot care for the child or because she has been traumatised by rape or incest?Neither option is good. No woman should be labeled a criminal and sent to jail because she had an abortion. That will never be the right decision for government. When a woman has had an abortion she is already in her own form of jail because that decision will remain in her heart for the rest of her life. Rwanda must get more women involved in this discussion and any legislation must benefit the mothers and not punish and stigmatize them. Marie CollinsWinnipeg, Canada
