By Michael Thompson
The Appleton Times
LUSAKA, Zambia — Violet Zulu, a 26-year-old house cleaner scraping by on $40 a month, thought she was doing what was best for her two young sons when she ended her pregnancy in desperation. Instead, she found herself turned away from legal medical services, arrested by police, and sentenced to seven years in a maximum-security prison for performing an illegal abortion on herself. Zulu's release last month, after international rights groups intervened with an appeal, has spotlighted the harsh realities facing women in Zambia and across Africa when seeking reproductive care.
Zulu's ordeal began in 2024, when she discovered she was pregnant amid already dire financial straits. Earning just enough to cover basics in her two-room rented home without running water in Lusaka, she shared with relatives that she sometimes had to beg for food to feed her boys. Her partner had abandoned her early in the pregnancy, leaving her to navigate the crisis alone.
Seeking a legal option, Zulu first approached a public clinic, where she was eligible for a free abortion under Zambian law. The country's provisions allow terminations when a pregnancy poses risks to the physical or mental health of the mother or her existing children. But the clinic denied her services, offering neither advice nor assistance, according to Zulu's account.
Undeterred, she turned to a private pharmacy, which quoted her 800 Zambian kwacha — about $43, equivalent to a full month's salary — for abortion drugs. Unable to afford it, Zulu said she felt trapped. "I never wanted to abort my pregnancy, but it is the circumstances at home that forced me to do it," she told the Associated Press in an interview at her home, where she now lives with her children and parents.
In a moment of despair, Zulu prepared and drank an herbal concoction known locally for inducing abortions. "I was scared when I took the concoction, but I didn’t really care what would happen to me," she recounted. The mixture worked, and she delivered the fetus alone in a toilet, placing it in a sack and disposing of it in a nearby stream.
Word of the incident spread after Zulu confided in a friend, and neighbors reported her to the police. Arrested and charged with procuring her own abortion — an offense under Zambian law — she faced court without legal representation. Having left school after the eighth grade, Zulu was unaware she could request free counsel and chose to represent herself.
In court, she pleaded guilty, believing she might receive only a warning. Instead, the judge sentenced her to seven years in prison in 2024. For nearly two years, she was separated from her sons and family, enduring life in a maximum-security facility. "This is a system that failed Violet," said Rosemary Kirui, a legal adviser for the Center for Reproductive Rights, an abortion rights group that campaigned for her release and assisted with the appeal. "It is not that she did not try. It is that she could not afford the services, yet she should be able to access them as a citizen of Zambia."
Zulu's case drew attention from international activists, who highlighted how stigma and misinformation block access to legal abortions even in countries where they are permitted. Sharon Williams, country director for the Women and Law in Southern Africa advocacy group, noted that Zulu qualified for a legal procedure due to the potential strain on her existing children's well-being. However, the public health system in Zambia does not advertise these rights, shrouded in secrecy and shame around the topic.
Zambia's constitution declares the nation a Christian country, creating tension with its abortion laws, which are more permissive than in many African neighbors but still restrictive. Abortions are allowed only to save the mother's life, prevent injury to her health, or in cases of fetal abnormalities or risks to other children. Yet, religious beliefs and conservative cultural values often hinder implementation, according to health and rights organizations.
The health ministry in Zambia did not respond to inquiries about Zulu's treatment at the public clinic. Williams argued that the case should spark a broader dialogue. "I think now that we have this judgment, we’re ready for the conversation," she said, calling for better education on legal abortion rights across communities.
Zulu's story is not isolated. Across Africa, where abortions are largely restricted except in life-threatening situations, women frequently resort to unsafe methods. The World Health Organization estimates that about 75% of all abortions in Africa are unsafe, contributing to high rates of maternal injury and death. A 2019 report from the Guttmacher Institute, a reproductive health research organization, pegged the number of unsafe abortions in sub-Saharan Africa at over 6 million annually.
In Zambia specifically, the Guttmacher report described the country's abortion law as a "paper law" — on the books but not ensuring widespread access due to barriers like cost, stigma, and provider reluctance. Even in South Africa, which has some of the continent's most progressive laws allowing abortions on request up to 13 weeks and for various reasons up to 21 weeks, only about 7% of public health facilities provide the services, studies show.
A stark example came in 2023, when a 14-year-old girl in South Africa was denied an abortion three times by health workers for invalid reasons. After advocacy groups filed an urgent court petition, a judge ordered the procedure on the final eligible day. At the time, a representative from the social justice group involved said the denials stemmed from "the abuse of medical knowledge by health care professionals" attempting to block abortions.
Back in Zambia, public reaction to Zulu's imprisonment has been mixed, reflecting deep societal divides. While activists decry the injustice, parts of the community view abortion harshly. Zulu's own mother expressed agreement with the sentence but suggested it should have been shorter, according to reports.
Now free and rebuilding her life, Zulu said she still feels remorse but is focused on her sons. She has been searching for work again as a house cleaner, determined to provide for her family despite the scars of her experience. Her release, facilitated by groups like the Center for Reproductive Rights, underscores ongoing efforts to reform access to reproductive health services in Africa, where desperate choices by women like Zulu continue to highlight systemic failures.
As Zambia and neighboring countries grapple with these issues, experts hope cases like Zulu's will push for change. Greater awareness, reduced stigma, and improved training for health providers could prevent similar tragedies, advocates argue. For now, Zulu's voice adds to a growing chorus calling for compassion and clarity in the face of complex laws and personal hardships.