Abortion in Benin: When Cost Becomes a Barrier to a Legal Right
In Benin, abortion is governed by Law No. 2021-12 of December 20, 2021, which amends and supplements Law No. 2003-04 of March 3 on sexual and reproductive health. Five years after this reform, widely praised as one of the most progressive in West Africa, financial, informational, and social barriers continue to turn a legal right into a difficult and uneven process. This investigation examines a reality that remains under-documented.
Jacqueline is 28 years old, a mother of four, and works as a seamstress in Abomey-Calavi. When she discovered she was pregnant for the fifth time, she was in shock. “I didn’t have the means to raise another child,” she explains. Accessing a legal abortion, and then gathering the financial resources to pay for it, proved to be extremely challenging.
It was only through a personal connection, who referred her to a midwife, that she was able to receive the service for free. Moved by her situation, the provider agreed not to charge her. “I didn’t even have money for the taxi to get to the clinic,” she says.
Her story is not unique. It reflects a broader and often overlooked reality: in Benin, abortion is legal, but actual access remains deeply unequal due to social norms and unregulated pricing.
A pioneering legal reform, but…
In December 2021, Benin adopted Law No. 2021-12, amending its framework on sexual and reproductive health. The law is considered one of the most progressive in West Africa. It allows abortion in four circumstances: when the woman’s life or health is at risk, in cases of rape or incest, in cases of severe fetal anomaly, and in situations of distress (material, educational, professional, or moral) before 12 weeks of pregnancy.
This last provision makes Benin one of the few countries in the region to adopt a socio-economic approach to reproductive justice. Yet, according to a 2025 study by Rutgers, conducted in partnership with the Center for Research in Human Reproduction and Demography (CERRHUD) in Cotonou, a significant gap remains between the law and lived realities. The study, covering five countries in West and Central Africa, highlights persistent barriers in the implementation of the law.
Variable costs and ongoing opacity
According to Article 15 of Decree No. 2023-151 of April 19, 2023, maximum fees for abortion services are supposed to be set by ministerial order. As of 2026, this order has still not been published, leaving access to services without a clear pricing framework.
“Unfortunately, we do not know exactly what is happening in all health centers,” says Marilyne Sourou, legal expert and advocacy officer at Jeunes Volontaires pour la Santé (JVS). “The effective implementation of this law is a real issue.”
Dr. Raphaël Totognon, gynecologist and project lead at the National College of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Benin (CNGOB), notes that the decree is underway and expresses hope that it will soon be finalized for the benefit of patients.
According to interviews conducted with providers, civil society organizations, and patients, the cost of abortion in Benin currently ranges between 10,000 and 100,000 CFA francs, depending on the facility, the procedure, and the region. Providers across multiple cities, including Cotonou, Porto-Novo, Kétou, Abomey-Calavi, and Savè, confirmed anonymously that the government has taken steps to ensure availability of services in public health centers. In pharmacies, abortion-related medications are also available by prescription at relatively accessible prices.
Inequalities in care and access
Viviane, interviewed at the University Hospital Center of Calavi, paid approximately 10,000 CFA francs. While she found the cost manageable, what stayed with her was the experience of care. She was asked to wait in a shared shelter alongside pregnant women attending prenatal consultations. Three different providers questioned her about her case before she was told to return early the next morning.
“When I arrived, I explained my situation to a midwife, who referred me to another, then to a nursing assistant who finally told me to come back very early the next morning. I think the reception needs to be improved and a more reassuring environment created for women and girls,” she says.
This kind of experience is partly linked to conscientious objection. Beninese law requires providers who refuse to perform abortions for moral or religious reasons to refer patients to a colleague who will. Benin is also the only country among those studied to provide explicit legal protections for providers who perform abortions, shielding them from potential social retaliation. In practice, however, these referrals do not always happen.
Some women turn to private clinics for greater confidentiality and better treatment, but costs there are significantly higher. According to Ayouba Gounou, Executive Director of the association Barrika, which operates in northern Benin, prices in some private clinics increased between 2025 and 2026. He attributes this in part to the impact of the Global Gag Rule, which led to funding cuts for sexual and reproductive health services.
Barrika, with support from international partners, is able to cover part of the costs for the most vulnerable women. However, its resources are insufficient to meet all needs.
Nearly five years after the adoption of Benin’s abortion law, the gap between legal rights and lived reality remains clear. The long-awaited publication of official pricing guidelines could be a decisive step toward greater transparency.
In the meantime, for many women and girls in Benin, access to safe and legal abortion continues to depend less on the law itself than on their financial means, their networks, and the doors they are able to open.