Abortion in Angola

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Abortion in Angola

Abortion is allowed only in a few limited cases. It is legal if continuing the pregnancy would endanger the woman's life or health, or in cases of rape, or if the fetus has serious impairments. In all other situations, performing an abortion can be a crime, with penalties for the woman and the person carrying out the procedure—up to five years in prison. If the abortion results in the woman’s death or if abortions are performed regularly, penalties can be increased by about one-third.

History and laws

Angola’s old law, based on the 1886 Portuguese Penal Code, restricted abortion and allowed it mainly only when the pregnancy endangered the woman’s life.

In January 2019, Angola passed a new Penal Code to broaden the circumstances under which abortion is legal, including health risk, rape, and fetal impairments. After some vetoes and revisions, the National Assembly approved the final version, Law 38/20, on November 4, 2020. The president signed it on November 6, 2020, along with the new Code of Criminal Procedure (Law 39/20). The laws were published on November 11, 2020, and took effect on February 9, 2021.

See also

- Maternal health in Angola
- Women's March for the Decriminalization of Abortion