Brazil´s Supreme Court A Step Closer to Decriminalizing Abortion

Chance to Finally Uphold Women’s and Pregnant People´s Rights

Regina Tamés, Cristina Quijano Carrasco, Human Rights Watch
Oct 5, 2023

Brazil’s Supreme Court is now considering a case that could decriminalize abortion in the country up to 12 weeks of gestation.

This case had previously been on hold since 2018, when the Court held a public hearing at which Human Rights Watch urged it to consider Brazil’s obligations under international law in reaching its ruling. Brazil’s current legislation regulating abortion, which dates to 1940, is incompatible with the country's human rights obligations. Abortion is criminalized except in cases of sexual violence, when the life of the pregnant woman is in danger, or when a fatal fetal condition known as anencephaly is detected.

Continued:  https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/10/05/brazils-supreme-court-step-closer-decriminalizing-abortion


Mexican State Becomes 12th to Decriminalize Abortion

Supreme Court Ruling Affirms Rights to Health, Reproductive Autonomy

Regina Tamés, Deputy Director, Women's Rights Division
Human Rights Watch

Sep 6, 2023

On August 30, Mexico’s Supreme Court decriminalized abortion in Aguascalientes state, making it the 12th Mexican state to remove criminal penalties for abortion. The move towards decriminalization in Mexico began in 2007 when Mexico City passed the country’s first abortion decriminalization law. It took 12 years for a second state, Oaxaca, to follow. While progress for a time seemed slow, 10 more states have decriminalized abortion in the last 3 years. This positive shift is largely thanks to the vision and perseverance of Mexican civil society.

While most states decriminalized abortion through changes in local legislation, Aguascalientes, as well as Coahuila states, are different in that the change came through a Supreme Court ruling. Five civil society organizations – GIRE, CECADEC, Cultivando Género, Morras Help Morras, and TERFU A.C. – challenged the abortion prohibition in Aguascalientes’ criminal code. The Supreme Court found that the prohibition violated the right to reproductive autonomy, the right to health, and the right to equality and nondiscrimination, among other rights, and confirmed the state´s obligation to provide abortion services.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/09/06/mexican-state-becomes-12th-decriminalize-abortion


Colombia: Abortion Rights Under Threat

July 3, 2023

Regina Tamés, Deputy Director, Women's Rights Division – Human Rights Watch
Mauricio Albarracín-Caballero, Deputy Director, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Rights Program

Colombia has attracted a lot of attention in the news over the past year for being the country that offers the best protection for abortion rights in Latin America. In February 2022 we celebrated the landmark ruling of Colombia’s Constitutional Court, which decriminalized abortion on all grounds up to week 24 of pregnancy and ordered health care providers to guarantee access to abortion services. The Court also confirmed that abortion will continue to be legal after 24 weeks where the pregnancy poses a risk to the health or life of the pregnant person, is non-viable or is the result of rape. These exceptions were introduced by the Constitutional Court in 2006.

But now the topic of abortion rights is back in the headlines in Colombia and not for the right reasons. The past few days have seen the spread of confusion and misinformation about recent rulings that could pose a threat to access to abortion. The Fourth Review Chamber of the Constitutional Court recently ruled on two tutela actions (T-158 from 2023 and T-430 from 2022) in a manner which could undermine full access to abortion services, contradicting last year’s ruling of the Full Chamber.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/07/03/colombia-abortion-rights-under-threat


Revealed: US-linked anti-abortion centres ‘lie’ and ‘scare women’ across Latin America

Revealed: US-linked anti-abortion centres ‘lie’ and ‘scare women’ across Latin America
Lawmakers in Mexico, Ecuador and Argentina demand action following “truly scandalous” misinformation revealed by openDemocracy..

Isabella Cota
12 February 2020

“Come on in my love, someone will be with you shortly,” a woman says, welcoming me into a ‘crisis centre’ for women with unwanted pregnancies in a suburb of Mexico City. "I'm going to give you a hug," she adds, with a kiss on the cheek.

The woman’s greeting is warm and it chimes with the centre’s online advertising, on a website called interrumpir-embarazo.com (‘interrupt-pregnancy.com’), as “a group of women who know how difficult it is to face an unwanted pregnancy”, who promise to “accompany you, with security and discretion”.

Continued: https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/5050/revealed-us-linked-anti-abortion-centres-lie-and-scare-women-across-latin-america/


What’s the future of abortion rights in Mexico under AMLO?

What's the future of abortion rights in Mexico under AMLO?
Incoming government of Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador reignites debate over women's reproductive health in the country.

by Isabella Cota
30 Nov 2018

Mexico City - Mexico's new government is yet to take office, but it has already reignited a fierce debate on women's reproductive rights that could end in a polarising referendum.

Shortly after a landslide victory by left-wing politician Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in the July 1 presidential elections, his interior minister-to-be drew both praise and criticism when she declared herself in favour of abortion rights.

Continued: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/americas/2018/11/whats-future-abortion-rights-mexico-amlo-181130202340174.html


Mexico’s Exciting Supreme Court Win for Women and Girls’ Access to Abortion

Mexico’s Exciting Supreme Court Win for Women and Girls’ Access to Abortion
“This sets a precedent for the whole country. This gives us hope and empowers victims of rape because they know now that the court is on their side.”

Amie Newman
May 14, 2018

Marimar* was 17 years old when she was raped and impregnated by her attacker. She reported the crime to the authorities in Morelos, Mexico where she lived and requested an abortion. The prosecutor’s office sent her to the hospital. Although abortion is legal in the case of rape in Mexico, the bioethics committee at Cuernavaca General Hospital where she sought help kept her in the hospital for two weeks, eventually denying her an abortion.

In 2016 Fernanda* was raped by an acquaintance and became pregnant. She requested access to an abortion, several times, from the health services of Oaxaca. The hospital was on strike and did not do anything but acknowledge receipt of her requests. Fernanda, like Marimar, was denied access to abortion care.

Continued: https://medium.com/@amienewman/mexicos-exciting-supreme-court-win-for-women-and-girls-access-to-abortion-9bab0d905c41


Dutch ‘abortion boat’ arrives off the coast of Mexico

Dutch 'abortion boat' arrives off the coast of Mexico
April 21, 2017

Women on Waves says it is offering free, legal, medical abortions till nine weeks of pregnancy in international waters.

Women on Waves has visited waters off Guatemala, Ireland, Morocco, Poland, Portugal and Spain [File: Reuters]

A Dutch sailing boat offering abortions has arrived in international waters off Mexico's west coast, according to the organisation which operates it.

The vessel, which operates often in defiance of some countries' laws, took up position on Friday off Guerrero state on Mexico's southern Pacific coast.

Women on Waves, a non-profit group, said in an online statement that it was offering "free legal medical abortions till nine weeks of pregnancy" to women who needed them. It said its ship "has all required permits" and would receive women until Sunday.

Continued at link: Al Jazeera: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/dutch-abortion-boat-arrives-coast-mexico-170422042001781.html


Teenage rape victim denied abortion in Mexico after judge rules attack was ‘consensual’

The teenager immediately reported her abuser to the police after an attack she described as rape Credit: Alamy

The teenager immediately reported her abuser to the police after an attack she described as rape

James Badcock, Madrid

1 August 2016 • 2:08pm

A 13-year-old rape victim from northern Mexico has been denied her legal right to an abortion after a judge ruled that the sex was consensual, despite medical evidence that she was subjected to sexual violence.

The teenager immediately reported her abuser to the police after an attack she described as rape and a medical report showed physical evidence which corroborated her allegations.

But the case judge in the state of Sonora instead accused the alleged rapist of “illegal sex with a minor” as he ruled that the man had gained the girl's consent by deception.

The state health service has refused to allow the girl, named by local media as Citlali, to terminate the foetus - despite rape-related pregnancies being exempt from a ban on abortions

[Continued at link]

Source: The Telegraph