CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Ivoire Soir.net publishes an exclusive story: text of a draft bill on sexual and reproductive health, including abortion

CÔTE D’IVOIRE – Ivoire Soir.net publishes an exclusive story: text of a draft bill on sexual and reproductive health, including abortion

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
July 31, 2018

Background

Under the Penal Code of Côte d’Ivoire, Law No. 81-640, 31 July 1981, abortion is prohibited except to save the life of the pregnant woman, if it is seriously endangered. Although this implies that it is an emergency situation, the attending physician must consult two additional physicians, who must certify that her life can only be saved by a surgical/therapeutic abortion. If only one other physician resides in the local area, the attending physician need only consult with this physician. If the treating physician is the only physician locally, s/he must certify on her/his honour that the life of the woman can only be saved by an abortion. The Penal Code also prohibits promotion of abortion by means of public discussion or advertisement or by distribution or sale of substances or objects. But it no longer contains similar restrictions on contraception that were enacted by the French colonial government in 1920.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/cote-divoire-ivoire-soir-net-publishes-an-exclusive-story-text-of-a-draft-bill-on-sexual-and-reproductive-health-including-abortion

BELGIUM – Hi-jacked: the minimal changes to the Belgian abortion law due to ‘political compromise’

Hi-jacked: the minimal changes to the Belgian abortion law due to ‘political compromise’

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
July 24, 2018
Commentary by Carine Vrancken, LUNA Abortion Centre, Hasselt, Belgium

Since mid-2016, several Belgian opposition political parties have submitted bills to change the abortion law. Some of them have been uncomplicated (take the existing text out of the penal code and put it in a civil law, without changing the content) while others have proposed a substantial change (take abortion out of the penal code, allow abortion on request up to the 20th week of pregnancy and get rid of the required 6-day waiting period between the request for abortion and the procedure). In the spring of 2017 the Flemish liberal party (Open VLD), a member of the majority coalition in the parliament, also submitted a bill (take abortion out of the penal code, reduce the waiting period to 48 hours, and allow abortion on request up to the 18th week of pregnancy). There were three other bills as well, in total six different bills.

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/belgium-hi-jacked-the-minimal-changes-to-the-belgian-abortion-law-due-to-political-compromise/

BELGIUM – Bishops criticise decision to scrap abortion from penal code

Bishops criticise decision to scrap abortion from penal code

Wednesday, 04 July 2018

The Belgian bishops’ conference has criticised a decision by the federal government parties to produce a bill to remove abortion from the statute books.

The bill will be presented to parliament on Thursday, after an agreement reached on Tuesday by the four majority parties: N-VA, CD&V, Open VLD and MR.

Abortion is still technically illegal in Belgium, save for certain circumstances laid out in a 1990 law, which famously led to the abdication for one day of then-king Baudouin, whose Catholic faith could not allow him to give the law Royal approval. Instead, he stepped down while the law was passed, in an inventive and unprecedented solution engineered by prime minister Wilfried Martens, resuming the throne the following day (photo).

Continued: http://www.brusselstimes.com/belgium/politics/11833/bishops-criticise-decision-to-scrap-abortion-from-penal-code

04.07.2018