In Africa, the ban on abortion remains the norm
For the main Beninese newspaper, the nationThis is’ ” a revolution “. Indeed, the Benign became Thursday, October 21, one of the very few nations in Africa to authorize abortion, after the vote of the National Assembly which strongly divided opinion.
Several families continue to mourn the loss of a child, a wife, a mother who left tragically following a complicated abortion. These wounds are irreparable.
Benjamin Hounkpatin, Minister of Health of Benin
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On the night of Wednesday to Thursday, Beninese deputies voted for a modification of the law on sexual health and reproduction which dated from 2003.Several families continue to mourn the loss of a child, a wife, a mother who left tragically following a complicated abortion. These wounds are irreparable“, then advanced the Minister of Health of the Benign Benjamin Hounkpatin. Every year, according to government figures, nearly 200 women die in Benign from complications of an abortion.
See also: Benin: abortion is legalized
Totally prohibited in a minority of countries around the world, access to abortion remains very restrictive or even illegal on the African continent. To Madagascarthe recent proposal for a law on the legalization of therapeutic termination of pregnancy (which aims to terminate a pregnancy for medical reasons) was immediately the subject of an outcry.
If abortion is a crime punishable by the Malagasy Penal Code, in practice, doctors carry out certain interventions in secret, risking up to 10 years in prison. In Republic of Congoto Djiboutiin Egyptin Guinea-Bissauau Senegal and in Democratic Republic of Congo, abortion remains illegal. Clandestine practices are however common, endangering the health of women.
See also: DR Congo: the taboo of clandestine abortions
In Poland, abortion is a threatened right
If it is generally women d’Europe, from North America et from Oceania which benefit from the most liberal legislation, some countries further tighten access to abortion.
On October 22, 2020, in Poland, the Constitutional Court, supported by the right-wing populist government, banned the voluntary termination of pregnancy in the event of a serious malformation of the fetus, adding an additional restriction to access to abortion. This is only authorized in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the mother is in danger.
See also: Poland: Abortion now virtually banned
Since this decision of the Tribunal, the organization Abortion without borders which helps women in European countries where abortion is illegal or restricted, said it helped 34,000 Polish women to abort. 14 NGOs including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch reported that Polish women “ have faced extreme barriers to accessing legal abortion in the past year “. They also urged the European Commission to implement “ urgently » a mechanism linking access to EU funds to respect for EU values.
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In Europethe total ban remains an exception: in Andorraau Vatican and to Painted where abortion can lead to a sentence of 18 months to 3 years in prison. In Ireland, abortion has only been legal since 2018, following a historic referendum repealing the constitutional ban on abortion. It was also liberalized in 2019 in North Irelandonly part of the UK where it remained prohibited.
In 2019, 9 US states restrict access to abortion
In 1973, the Supreme Court of United States recognizes in its emblematic case “Roe v. Wade” a women’s right to abortion. In 1992, she specified that women can decide to terminate their pregnancy as long as the fetus is not viable, which is generally around the 24th week.
However, it allows the 50 states to retain their right to legislate on abortion, provided that the health of women is not compromised and that the legislation does not constitute an insurmountable obstacle for patients. The notion of “insurmountable obstacle” remains however subject to interpretation.
See also: United States: Texas legally closes the door to the right to abortion
So much so that in 2019, under the mandate of conservative and anti-abortion President Donald Trump, 9 states of United States passed a bill to limit access to abortion. On May 16 of this year, the Governor of l’Alabama enacts the toughest anti-abortion law in the country. The text prohibits almost all voluntary terminations of pregnancy, even in cases of incest or rape.
More recently, at Texas, a law that bans any voluntary termination of pregnancy as soon as the heartbeat of the embryo is detectable, around six weeks of pregnancy, is the subject of lively debate. The US Supreme Court announced that it would examine the law more closely on November 1, while refusing to suspend the application of the text. Another unique device of the text: it entrusts citizens with the task of enforcing the measure by encouraging them to file a complaint against organizations that help women to have illegal abortions. Denunciation beyond six weeks can result in a financial reward of at least $10,000 if convicted.
See also: Latin America: a green wave for the right to abortion
And 2020, and South America, argentina has authorized abortion up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Until now, it was only allowed in cases of rape or danger to the life of the mother. For the Chiliit took until September 2021. Brazil, access to abortion remains very limited: in the event of rape, risk for the mother or serious malformation of the fetus. While at Mexicoon September 7, 2021, the Supreme Court declared the ban on abortion unconstitutional, opening the door to legalization in all 32 states of the country.
China calls for cutting abortions
In Thailand, abortion was decriminalized in February 2021 and can now be performed up to twelve weeks of amenorrhea. In South Korea, abortion is no longer prohibited since January 1, 2021 although it is not entirely legal as no legislation has been passed to replace the old one. On the other hand, it is completely forbidden to abort Philippines and at Laos and authorized in case of danger to the life or health of the woman in Bangladeshin Burma and in Sri Lanka.
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Unlike much of the rest of asiaabortion is legal and very accessible in Chine. After decades of a one-child policy, the world’s most populous country is trying to boost its birth rate and encourage couples to have more children. Now the Chinese government is calling for a reduction in abortions that are not ” medically necessary ».
In Irak, Lebanon, Syria, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, Yemenabortion remains accessible only in the event of danger to the mother’s life.
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