The media has been charged to lead the campaign against unsafe abortions which continue to claim the lives of women and young girls in the country.
According to a Project and Advocacy Officer with the Planned Parenthood Association of Ghana (PPAG), Michael Tagoe, contrary to common beliefs held that abortion was illegal in the country and it was actually permissible by law. "Under Sections 58 and 59 of the Criminal Offences Act, 1960 (Act 29), abortion is permissible in cases of rape, incest, foetal abnormalities, or situations where the pregnancy poses a risk to the physical or mental health of the woman and the media must champion this to minimise the use of unsafe means of ending pregnancies," he explained.
Mr Tagoe gave the advice during a three-day workshop organised by the PPAG for selected journalists from various media houses in the country on how to effectively communicate on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) issues.
It was aimed at equipping the journalists with the needed skills to enhance their reportage on SRHR and also play advocacy roles as partners in health service delivery.
