Exploring the sexual and reproductive health and rights policies and their relationship to the Termination of Pregnancy Act (1977) and bodily autonomy and integrity in Zimbabwe: a multimethod research protocol.
This paper presents a multimethod research protocol to review and analyse sexual and reproductive health and rights policies and their relationship to Zimbabwe's Termination of Pregnancy Act (1977) and bodily autonomy and integrity.
Key Findings
Background
Zimbabwe's Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1977 generally prohibits pregnancy termination except under specific stipulated circumstances, raising questions about modern-day rights of bodily autonomy and integrity.
The ToP Act dates to 1977 and remains the governing legislation for pregnancy termination in Zimbabwe
The tension between this decades-old legislation and contemporary concepts of bodily autonomy and integrity (BAI) is the central motivation for the study
The study is funded by the AIDS and Rights Alliance for Southern Africa
Methods
The study protocol employs a concurrent multimethod approach combining policy analysis, qualitative methods, and quantitative survey methods.
Policies related to ToP and bodily autonomy will be reviewed and analysed using the policy analysis triangle framework
Qualitative components include key informant interviews with purposively selected key informants and focus group discussions with purposively selected women and men
The quantitative component involves a survey of 200 stratified selected women
Qualitative findings will be analysed thematically using MAXQDA V.20 Pro; quantitative data will be collected via KoboCollect and analysed using Excel and STATA
Methods
The SWOT framework and Basic Logic Model will guide triangulation of findings and development of a policy brief for key stakeholders.
Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis will be applied during triangulation
A policy brief will be developed and shared with key stakeholders
At least three manuscripts are planned for submission to peer-reviewed journals
Methods
Ethical approval for the study was obtained from the National University of Science and Technology Institutional Review Board in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.
Ethics Number: NUST/IRB/2023/23
Written informed consent will be sought from all participants
The study is situated at the National University of Science and Technology, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
What This Means
This paper describes the design and protocol for a research study in Zimbabwe that will examine how existing sexual and reproductive health policies relate to a 1977 law governing when pregnancy termination is allowed, and how these policies align—or conflict—with the concept of bodily autonomy and integrity (a person's right to make decisions about their own body). The study will combine reviewing official policy documents, interviewing key experts and community members in focus groups, and surveying 200 women to build a comprehensive picture of the current landscape.
This research suggests that there is a meaningful gap between Zimbabwe's decades-old legal framework for pregnancy termination and contemporary human rights principles around bodily autonomy. By using multiple research methods simultaneously, the study aims to understand not just what the policies say, but how they are experienced by women and other stakeholders on the ground. Findings will be triangulated and synthesized into a policy brief intended for government and civil society decision-makers.
The practical significance of this work is that it could inform updates or reforms to reproductive health legislation and policy in Zimbabwe, making them more responsive to current human rights standards. The planned publication of at least three academic articles and a policy brief means the findings are intended to reach both the scientific community and policymakers who have the ability to change how pregnancy termination and reproductive rights are governed in the country.
Nunu W, Sibindi M, Mantula F, Maviza G, Maphosa M, Ndzozi P, et al.. (2025). Exploring the sexual and reproductive health and rights policies and their relationship to the Termination of Pregnancy Act (1977) and bodily autonomy and integrity in Zimbabwe: a multimethod research protocol.. BMJ open. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2024-086897