Latin America’s New Anti-Abortion Battle Line: Fetus Adoption Over Abortion

Latin America's New Anti-Abortion Battle Line: Fetus Adoption Over Abortion
These innovative but controversial initiatives could serve as a model for abortion battles elsewhere.

By Deborah Bonello
Sept 29 2019

There is no word in Spanish for miscarriage. The term aborto espontaneo, which translates to spontaneous abortion, is the language used when pregnancy in Latin America ends suddenly. But as popular opinion in the region — home to some of the world’s most draconian legislation against abortion — slowly moves away from rigid opposition, anti-abortion actors are changing their language and tactics to fight back.

For decades, anti-abortion campaigns in Latin America have been built around principles outlined in the Bible, and values of morality and decency, says Fernanda Doz Costa, Amnesty International’s deputy director for the Americas. Now, a new generation of activists opposed to abortion has adopted a rights-based approach arguing in favor of both the mother’s and the child’s rights, or that abortion can be avoided in many cases without the mother having to raise the child.

Continued: https://www.ozy.com/fast-forward/latin-americas-new-anti-abortion-battle-line-fetus-adoption-over-abortion/96949

Mexican Activists Take to Streets to Demand Safe, Legal Abortions

Mexican Activists Take to Streets to Demand Safe, Legal Abortions

By Reuters
September 29, 2019

MEXICO CITY - Mexican activists took to the streets in large cities Saturday to demand safe and legal abortions, many wearing green bandanas that have become a symbol with the abortion rights movement in Latin America.

The protests on International Safe Abortion Day come after the Mexican state of Oaxaca on Wednesday approved a bill to legalize abortion, making it only the second region after Mexico City to permit the procedure.

Continued: https://www.voanews.com/americas/mexican-activists-take-streets-demand-safe-legal-abortions

Explained: Abortion Rights in Mexico and Latin America

Explained: Abortion Rights in Mexico and Latin America
Here are some key facts and figures for specific countries

By Amy Guthrie
Published Sep 29, 2019

Mexican women on Saturday marched for abortion rights, highlighting increased efforts across Latin America to lift some of the world's most restrictive abortion laws.

Efforts to legalize abortion have emerged in the region as some societies become more liberal and the Roman Catholic Church loses sway amid clerical sex abuse cases. Mexico City, along with Cuba and Uruguay, are the only places in the region where women can undergo abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy regardless of the circumstances.

Continued: https://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/national-international/Explained-Abortion-Rights-Mexico-Latin-America-561721361.html

Unplanned, a US pro-life film ‘which distorts abortion’, set for Irish screens

Unplanned, a US pro-life film ‘which distorts abortion’, set for Irish screens
Unplanned, based on a disputed memoir by former clinician Abby Johnson, is rated 16 for general release

Pavel Barter
September 29 2019

An American pro-life film which has been accused of inaccurately portraying abortion procedures is being released in Irish cinemas this week. Unplanned is an adaptation of a memoir by Abby Johnson, a former clinic director for Planned Parenthood in Texas, who became a pro-life activist after seeing a distressing abortion.

The $6m (€5.5m) film has grossed almost $20m in the US and Canada since April. According to Paul Ward, co-owner of Irish Multiplex Cinemas, Unplanned will be shown from Friday at its four Dublin theatres, including the Savoy, and in Omagh, Co Tyrone. “We have been asked by our patrons to screen it,” he said.

Continued: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/unplanned-a-us-pro-life-film-which-distorts-abortion-set-for-irish-screens-fcxl53jc0

Ireland – Abortion campaigners protest ‘restrictions’ in legislation

Abortion campaigners protest ‘restrictions’ in legislation
Hundreds march through Dublin and call for introduction of safe zones around facilities

Sep 28, 2019
Shauna Bowers

Abortion rights activists marched through Dublin on Saturday to protest against the “restrictions” in the Ireland’s abortion legislation.

The theme of the 8th annual march, which was the first since Ireland legalised abortion in December last year, was “nobody left behind”.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/abortion-campaigners-protest-restrictions-in-legislation-1.4034103

UK – Police called after Stella Creasy targeted by anti-abortion group

Police called after Stella Creasy targeted by anti-abortion group
MP ‘physically sick’ at poster claiming to show aborted remains beside her image

Sarah Marsh
Sat 28 Sep 2019

The Labour MP Stella Creasy has contacted the police and said she feels “physically sick” after being targeted by an anti-abortion group.

Creasy, who represents Walthamstow in parliament, expressed her concern as protesters entered her constituency and put a poster of her next to a picture of what it claimed was “a 24-week-old aborted baby girl”.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/sep/28/labour-mp-stella-creasy-targeted-by-anti-abortion-group

Zimbabwe – It’s time for men, church to defend women against unsafe abortions

It’s time for men, church to defend women against unsafe abortions

Mugove G Madziyire
September 28, 2019

In 1984, when I was in primary school, Rosemary (not her name), a fellow classmate, passed away. The news shocked the whole class. At our age, death didn’t seem possible. A few days later, the headmaster spoke to us at the school assembly. He said Rosemary had “played” inappropriately with boys and become pregnant. And she died because she had attempted to abort the pregnancy. It was a big relief to us to realise that she, in fact, “deserved to die”. How could she do that?

We never thought about the man who had caused the pregnancy, why she became pregnant, and why she attempted an abortion. Today, 35 years later, as a specialist gynaecologist and a man, it is clear to me that men must ask those tough questions if we are to stop unnecessary deaths from illegal and dangerous abortions.

Continued: https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/09/its-time-for-men-church-to-defend-women-against-unsafe-abortions/

International Safe Abortion Day: Why Kenya needs clarity on safe abortion guidelines

International Safe Abortion Day: Why Kenya needs clarity on safe abortion guidelines

By Purity Nthiana
September 28th, 2019

This weekend, the world will be marking the International Safe Abortion Day, on 28th September. This comes in the wake of the recent High Court ruling to reinstate the 2012 Standards and Guidelines for Reducing Morbidity and Mortality from Unsafe Abortion in Kenya.

While many reproductive health advocates have lauded the court’s decision as a win for women, many Kenyans are still in the dark regarding what the document actually says.

Continued: https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/blog/international-safe-abortion-day-why-kenya-needs-clarity-on-safe-abortion-guidelines

28.09.2019

Featured

Opinion

International Safe Abortion Day

Kenya abortion guidelines

Maputo Protocol

NAYA

Network for Adolescent and Youth of Africa

Purity Nthiana

Standards and Guidelines for Reducing Morbidity and Mortality from Unsafe Abortion

Why I collect Egyptian women’s stories of abortion

Why I collect Egyptian women’s stories of abortion

By Ghadeer Ahmed
September 28, 2019

On September 28, 2017, International Safe Abortion Day, I published the first part of the “Abortion Tales” series with Mada Masr. The tales narrate real women’s experiences with unsafe abortion in Egypt, in light of its criminalization in the Egyptian penal code. I began to collect and write stories as a starting point to get more involved with women’s experiences with their bodies. This involvement is not only through writing, but also the emotions, bodily memories and affects resulting from direct encounters with the women who offer to share their accounts in the series. Here, I share the story of my journey.

Continued: https://madamasr.com/en/2019/09/28/feature/society/why-i-collect-egyptian-womens-stories-of-abortion/

India – Safe abortion: every woman’s right and her decision alone

Safe abortion: every woman’s right and her decision alone

Updated: Sep 28, 2019
Sanchita Sharma, Hindustantimes

There’s been a spurt in women approaching the Supreme and High Courts seeking permission to end their pregnancies, but the judgments have been conflicting, according to a new analysis of court judgments by the not-for-profit Pratigya Campaign for Gender Equality and Safe Abortion.

Over the last three years, 194 women have gone to courts seeking abortions in traumatic circumstances including rape, risk to life and mental health, or foetal abnormalities, but the judgments have been unpredictable, found the report, released on Saturday.

Continued: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/safe-abortion-every-woman-s-right-and-her-decision-alone/story-TuyEHBau4TpxMHuyMBUsdK.html