Philippines – Why we need to decriminalize abortion

SEP 28, 2020
CLAIRE PADILLA

The restrictive, colonial, and archaic 1930 Revised Penal Code abortion law has never reduced the number of women inducing abortion. It has only endangered the lives of hundreds of thousands of Filipino women who have made personal decisions to induce abortion for various reasons (economic - 75%; too young, under 25 years old - 46%; health reasons - one-third; rape - 13%) but are unable to access safe abortion services.

No restrictive law nor religious dogma has stopped these Filipino women, especially poor women with at least 3 children, to end their unintended or unwanted pregnancies.

Continued: https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-why-we-need-decriminalize-abortion

Women in North Korea’s Detention Centers Face Sexual Abuse: UN Report

by Anya Ruppert
July 28, 2020

A report released by the UN Tuesday revealed North Korean women undergo forced labor, sexual violence, and forced abortion and infanticide in the country’s detention centers.

The report acknowledges that “over seventy years since its establishment, [North Korea] remains a closed society and leaving the country without official permission is a crime under domestic law.” However, women who manage to escape and then forcibly return or fail to flee, face extraneous inhumane punishments.

Continued: https://theglobepost.com/2020/07/28/north-korea-women/

28.07.2020

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NI to offer unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks

NI to offer unrestricted abortion up to 12 weeks

By Jayne McCormack, BBC News NI Political Reporter
25 March 2020

Abortions in Northern Ireland can take place in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy "without conditionality", under new laws soon to be in force.

Terminations will be permitted beyond 12 weeks in a number of other circumstances, with no time limit in cases of a fatal foetal abnormality.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-52040694

Pro-choice groups raise concerns over possible delays to Northern Ireland abortion law

Pro-choice groups raise concerns over possible delays to Northern Ireland abortion law
No 10’s document suggests it may take up to 18 months to implement legislation

Peter Walker, Political correspondent
Wed 17 Jul 2019

Pressure groups have warned against lengthy delays to extending abortion rights to Northern Ireland following a landmark legal amendment last week, after a government document said the process could take as long as 18 months to implement.

Downing Street has committed to introducing the abortion plan after an amendment to a separate Northern Ireland bill by the Labour MP Stella Creasy was passed overwhelmingly by the Commons.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jul/17/pro-choice-groups-raise-concerns-over-possible-delays-of-northern-ireland-abortion-law

Pro-choice campaigners target North’s abortion laws

Pro-choice campaigners target North’s abortion laws
Women’s rights activists confident 2019 will see North’s restrictive regime reformed

Mon, Jan 7, 2019
Amanda Ferguson Belfast

Ashleigh Topley was devastated to learn at her 20-week scan that her baby had a fatal foetal abnormality and “would never take a breath”.

“Being denied a termination and then being forced to endure 15 weeks of willing my much-wanted daughter’s heart to stop and waiting for the pregnancy to end naturally can only be described as torture,” she says.

Continued: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/pro-choice-campaigners-target-north-s-abortion-laws-1.3749396

Abortion in New Zealand and How We Got Here

Abortion in New Zealand and How We Got Here
Untangling the criminal history of abortions in New Zealand shows our laws have long been out of step with society.

by Laetitia Laubscher
Nov 27 2018

Abortion is legal in New Zealand but to get one most women have to lie.

In the year to June 2017, New Zealanders had 13,285 abortions, about one-fifth of all known pregnancies that year. The overwhelming majority were obtained through the circuitous, ambiguously legal method that exists in New Zealand—a system criticised by the United Nations for being an arbitrary, discriminatory mess.

Continued: https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/wj3jmx/abortion-in-new-zealand-and-how-we-got-here

27.11.2018

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New Zealand – Abortion case taken to Human Rights Commission

Abortion case taken to Human Rights Commission

Sasha Borissenko of Newsroom.co.nz
Oct 08 2018

Six women who have sought abortion care and the Abortion Law Reform Association (ALRANZ) have taken a complaint to the Human Rights Commission alleging abortion laws discriminate against women and pregnant people.

ALRANZ's complaint to the commission on behalf of the women alleges "people who seek abortion care receive different and demonstrably worse treatment than other people seeking health care", according to ALRANZ president Terry Bellamak.

Continued: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/health/107674939/abortion-case-taken-to-human-rights-commission

The Senate in Argentina must vote to decriminalize abortion

The Senate in Argentina must vote to decriminalize abortion

by Mariela Belski
August 6 2018

Mariela Belski is the executive director of Amnesty International Argentina.

Argentina is only days away from becoming a role model in Latin America and the world in the cause of advancing the human rights of women and girls. For that to happen, however, the country’s senators must vote Wednesday on a bill to decriminalize abortion.

On June 14, the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that would allow women to terminate pregnancies during the first 14 weeks, in a historical vote that saw of the biggest street demonstrations of women claiming for their rights in the country’s history. The issue is certainly divisive, but there has been a healthy debate and President Mauricio Macri has said he will respect the results of the vote in Congress.

Continued: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/global-opinions/wp/2018/08/06/the-senate-in-argentina-must-vote-to-decriminalize-abortion/

Brazil: Decriminalize Abortion

Brazil: Decriminalize Abortion
Court Considering Petition to Expand Access

July 31, 2018

(São Paulo) – Brazil’s abortion laws are incompatible with its human rights obligations, Human Rights Watch said today, releasing a video about the issue. Human Rights Watch will speak at a public hearing on August 3 and 6, 2018, as part of a Supreme Court case challenging the criminalization of abortion in Brazil in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Human Rights Watch will urge the court to consider Brazil’s obligations under international law in reaching its ruling.

Abortion is legal in Brazil only in cases of rape, when necessary to save a woman’s life, or when the fetus suffers from anencephaly – a fatal congenital brain disorder. Women and girls who terminate pregnancies under any other circumstances face up to three years in prison.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2018/07/31/brazil-decriminalize-abortion

UK politicians call for Northern Ireland abortion reforms

UK politicians call for Northern Ireland abortion reforms
Northern Ireland is the only part of the UK where abortion is illegal unless pregnancy poses a serious health risk.

22 Jul 2018

More than 170 politicians from the UK and Ireland have signed a letter calling on the UK government to decriminalise abortion in Northern Ireland.

The cross-party letter, published in UK newspaper The Sunday Times, said the "current situation for women [in Northern Ireland] cannot be ignored or allowed to continue".

Continued: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/07/uk-politicians-call-northern-ireland-abortion-reforms-180722081907466.html