Asnaketch, a security guard who survived several self-induced abortions, is one of several women whose stories are featured in Ipas's documentary about abortion in Africa.

Lisa Russell

"My name is Tigist. My father's name is Dawat. I was living in Seshamane Region. And a man raped me there in the tea room where I was working. I have no one to support me. That's why I need the abortion. I'm afraid of the procedure, but what shall I do?"

With this quiet statement, a young woman named Tigist breaks through the controversy that often surrounds abortion. Her story is one of several that are woven together in Ipas's soon-to-be-released documentary, In Her Own Hands [working title].

The project is a partnership between Ipas and independent filmmaker Lisa Russell. Russell traveled to Ethiopia in March and recorded interviews with women, men, community leaders and health care providers in the capitol of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa, as well as the rural town of Zeway.

In 2005, Ethiopia enacted a dramatic legal reform that expanded the conditions under which women could seek legal abortions, making their law one of the most liberal in Africa. It acted in response to the high proportion of maternal deaths that occurred as a result of unsafe abortion, and provides an opportunity to explore the challenges and opportunities that women like Tigist face when a choice is opened.

Other key voices in the film include Asnaketch (pictured above), a security guard who survived several self-induced abortions and now helps to empower young women in her community; a traditional healer who performs unsafe abortions; Seleda Kedir Ware, head of the Oromia Women's Affairs Bureau, who was involved in the 2004 legal reform effort. A preview of the film will be available online in early November.

"After distributing my film, ‘Love, Labor, Loss,’ which opened many eyes to the relatively unknown issue of obstetric fistula, I have witnessed the power of film and women's personal stories to shine light on health issues that are often ignored. Working with Ipas on In Her Own Hands, I have had the opportunity to create a compelling film that illustrates both the personal and societal consequences of unsafe abortion and how women's lives can be transformed when given the support and resources they need," says Russell.

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For more information, contact media@ipas.org