SOLIDARITY REQUEST: Urge El Salvador legislators to decriminalize abortion
by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
May 12, 2017
SOLIDARITY REQUEST:
In a statement on 8 May 2017, Amnesty International said that the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly has a historic opportunity to reject the criminalisation of abortion and protect the health and lives of millions of women throughout the country, in light of a debate due to start this month which could result in the first steps being taken towards partial decriminalization of abortion. It is the first time in almost 20 years that there is a real opportunity to change this law.
The ruling party, Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front, tabled the bill in October 2016. The bill would decriminalize abortion on four grounds: if the pregnancy poses a risk to the life of a pregnant woman or girl, or there is a risk to her physical or mental health, or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest, or if the fetus would be unable to survive outside the womb. Another bill was tabled by anti-abortion Assembly members that would increase the criminal penalties to up to 50 years.
Continued at source: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/solidarity-request-urge-el-salvadorian-legislators-to-decriminalize-abortion/