The Women's March for the Decriminalization of Abortion took place on 18 March 2017 in Luanda, Angola. The march was organized by a group of women from civil society, including several members of the Ondjango Feminista collective.[1] The march began at 10:00 am at the Santa Ana Cemetery, in homage to the women who died because of clandestine abortions (unsafe abortions), and ended at 2:00 pm at Largo das Heroínas.[2]
The organizers of the march considered unconstitutional the approval of the proposal for a Penal Code that criminalizes abortion, without any kind of exception, passed on 11 March 2017 in the National Assembly. In this proposal, the previous exceptions for abortion were eliminated (unviability of the fetus, pregnancies that put the mother's life at risk and pregnancies resulting from rape). The proposal called for the criminalization of abortion, stipulating a sentence of four to ten years.[3]
The march was supported by prominent figures such as Isabel dos Santos, Ana Paula Godinho, Aline Frazão, and Mihaela Webba.[4]