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Statistics presented in the media have shown that over 70 000 backstreet, unsafe abortions are taking place in Zimbabwe. This is due to the inability of Zimbabwean women to seek abortion services in the country due to its illegality. Deaths due to the inability to receive post abortion care have also been reported and this clearly impacts on the right to life of individuals. Individuals in this sense are questionable though as some sectors of society may argue that the right to life of the child is equally stampeded on. A shred of hope is the fact that in 2012 public health Institutions were instructed to care for post-abortion patients without handing them over to the police. This is a most welcome development which has ensured access to health by women which is a basic human right. According to Bulawayo 24 a local online publication by June 2014 an estimated 2, 000 women had sought post abortion services at public health institutions, a positive leap in the realization of reproductive rights. A case in point is that of Mildred Mapingure who was raped in April 2006 in Chegutu. She reported the case to the police on the same day. She wanted to terminate the pregnancy lawfully but was unable to as there were a lot of delays by the police. She frequented the hospital and police station but was not assisted until the pregnancy elapsed the legal term of three months. Her case was thrown out of the High Court earlier in 2014 but the Supreme Court of Zimbabwe ruled that the State was liable for failing to provide a rape survivor with emergency contraception and ordered the government to pay damages.
The need to cushion the moral fiber which is basically defined by culture and especially the Christian religion abortion may remain illegal in the country. Society frowns upon women that are known to have undergone abortions. They are regarded as immoral and not worthy of respect. It is this societal belief that affects the law and therefore impact on the rights of women.