The study investigates the impediments caused by criminalisation of abortion in cases of forced pregnancy as a result of rape. It focuses on the premise that restrictive abortion laws and practices in such cases has devastating impact on women’s lives as they are likely to engage in unsafe abortion. Focuses on rape and abortion in Swaziland in relation to cultural norms and traditional beliefs on the issue of access to legal abortion by rape victims. Also discusses the law on abortion in Ethiopia. / A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Law University of Pretoria, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Masters of Law (LLM in Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa). Prepared under the supervision of Dr. Girmachew Alemu Aneme, Faculty of Law, University of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. / Thesis (LLM (Human Rights and Democratisation in Africa))--University of Pretoria, 2009. / http://www.chr.up.ac.za/ / Centre for Human Rights / LLM