- A majority of citizens across seven East African countries say that women and girls should be able to decide for themselves whether and when to marry (80%) (Figure 1).
- o Almost as many (73%) say women should decide for themselves how many children to have and when to have them (Figure 2).
- o These positions have majority support in all seven surveyed countries. Seychellois voice the strongest support for women’s autonomy in decisions about marriage and childbearing, while Comorians register relatively weaker support.
- About eight in 10 East Africans (79%) endorse the teaching of sexuality education in school (Figure 3).
- o Public support for sex education exceeds nine in 10 citizens in Madagascar, Mauritius, and Seychelles and doesn’t drop below six in 10 citizens in any surveyed country.
- On average, a majority (58%) of citizens in East Africa say contraceptives should be made available to anyone who is sexually active regardless of their marital status (Figure 4). However, fewer than half (42%) would make them available regardless of age.
- o Fewer than half of citizens favour unfettered contraceptive access in Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda.
- On average, two-thirds (67%) of East Africans say abortion can “sometimes” or “always” be justified if the woman’s health or life is at risk. Fewer than half say the same about cases in which the pregnancy resulted from rape or incest (47%), the woman is economically unable to care for a child (30%), or the woman doesn’t want the pregnancy for any reason (26%) (Figure 5). Views vary widely by country.
Most East Africans believe that women and girls should have the autonomy to decide whether and when to marry, as well as how many children to have and when to have them, the latest Afrobarometer report shows.
In all seven East African countries surveyed in 2024/2025, majorities endorse women’s marital and reproductive autonomy.
Majorities in all seyen countries also favour the teaching of sexuality education in schools.
But views on contraception are more mixed. On average across the subregion, a majority would make contraceptives available regardless of people’s marital status, but fewer than half would make them available regardless of age.
Similarly, views on abortion range widely. Two-thirds of citizens across the seven countries say pregnancy termination can “always” or “sometimes” be justified if the woman’s health or life is at risk, but fewer than half see it as justified in cases of rape or incest and other circumstances.