New Zealand passes landmark law to decriminalize abortion
By Nick Perry, The Associated Press
Wed., March 18, 2020
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Margaret Sparrow was 21 years old when she drank a concoction to induce an abortion, at a time when the procedure was both illegal and socially unacceptable in New Zealand.
Now age 84, Sparrow was delighted Wednesday when lawmakers passed a landmark bill that treats the procedure as a health issue rather than a crime.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Sparrow, a doctor who has spent her life advocating for the reproductive rights of women.