Betrayed by the System in Brazil

Friday 28 February 2025
by L.M. Bonato

While various human rights reports show that annually between one and four million Brazilian women have abortions, the right to women’s bodily autonomy remains a major battle. Currently the law allows abortion only in the case of rape or to save the woman’s life. This means millons of women are forced to seek underground abortions.

Given the rise of conservative parties following Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency, far-right politicians are seeking to roll back legal abortion even in the case of rape. Congressman Sóstenes Cavalcante has introduced Bill PL 190424, which would criminalize abortion under all circumstances after 22 weeks of pregnancy.

Continued: https://internationalviewpoint.org/spip.php?article8874

28.02.2025

Total criminalisation of abortion is a threat to sexual and reproductive health in Brazil

BMJ 2025; 388 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.r52
Published 10 January 2025
Michelle Fernandez, Luísa M M Fernandes, Melania M R de Amorim

In Brazil, a proposed constitutional amendment is currently being discussed in the National Congress, aiming to criminalise abortion in the country entirely. It stipulates prison sentences for women who undergo the procedure, ranging from 6 to 20 years, regardless of the circumstances. The proposal equates abortion with the crime of homicide. The suggested penalties for abortion are harsher than those currently imposed on rapists, who face a maximum of 10 years in prison. The proposed amendment would threaten the reproductive rights and health of women in Brazil, and directly affect their dignity and autonomy.

Continued: https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.r52

‘You feel like a criminal’: How trans people are pushed further to the margins in anti-abortion Brazil

Dec 8, 2024

São Paulo, Brazil — In the summer of 2023, Matheus terminated his pregnancy at a friend’s house. 26-year-old Matheus, who identifies as nonbinary and uses he/she pronouns, said he, made the decision because he felt unsafe with the person he had sex with, and the pregnancy triggered his gender dysphoria.

“I thought about how my body would be with the pregnancy, and it shakes me,” he told CNN, sitting at a park in the Brazilian city of São José dos Campos. “My breasts would have milk, and my breasts are a part of my body, that really bothers me”. Despite the toll the pregnancy would have taken on Matheus’ mental health – whose real name has been changed to protect his identity – what he did is illegal.

Continued: https://www.bundle.app/en/breakingNews/'you-feel-like-a-criminal':-how-trans-people-are-pushed-further-to-the-margins-in-anti-abortion-braz-da92d3b1-953c-4e45-bc98-a3ebee9f794f

Brazilian abortion activist had to go abroad to end pregnancy

By Lais Morais
December 5, 2024

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - When Rebeca Mendes became pregnant, she fought for the right to have an abortion in Brazil. The Supreme Court denied her request to allow it in 2017, so she flew to Colombia to terminate her pregnancy.

Now she is an activist for the right to have safe and legal abortions in a country where they are only allowed in the case of rape, fetal deformation or the mother's life is in danger.

Continued: https://www.yahoo.com/news/brazilian-abortion-activist-had-abroad-130349895.html

05.12.2024

News

Cachoeirinha Municipal Maternity Hospital

Brazilian congressional committee votes for bill to ban abortion

By Reuters
November 27, 2024

BRASILIA - A committee in Brazil's lower chamber of Congress approved a bill on Wednesday that would ban abortion in Brazil in all cases including those currently allowed such as fetal deformation, rape or when the mother's health is in danger.

The Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee, where conservatives have a majority, voted 35-15 to approve a proposal for a constitutional amendment to establish that the inviolability of the right to life applies from the moment of conception and not at birth.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/brazilian-congressional-committee-votes-bill-ban-abortion-2024-11-27/

27.11.2024

anti-choice terrorism

anti-choice violence

Chris Tonietto

Constitutional and Legal Affairs Committee

Proposal to Ban Abortion in Brazil, Even in Legally Permitted Cases, Advances

There were 35 votes in favor and 15 against in the committee; government advised against it

Nov.27.2024
The Constitution and Justice Commission of the Chamber of Deputies approved this Wednesday (27) a PEC (proposed constitutional amendment) aiming to ban abortion in Brazil, under protest from left-wing parliamentarians.

The vote was 35 in favor and 15 against. The government advised against it. The committee session had to be interrupted for about 50 minutes after a group of women entered the plenary to protest.

Continued: https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2024/11/proposal-to-ban-abortion-in-brazil-even-in-legally-permitted-cases-advances.shtml

27.11.2024

anti-choice terrorism

anti-choice violence

Constitution and Justice Commission of the Chamber of Deputies

Brazil – Legislating Reproductive Rights

Brazil’s Institutional Battle Over Abortion Laws

13 October 2024
Eloísa Machado de Almeida

In May, the Brazilian parliament introduced a bill that included a gestational age limit for performing abortions, even in cases where the pregnancy resulted from rape. In practice, the bill would criminalize women who were victims of sexual violence, especially young girls. The proposal triggered a strong reaction from civil society, including protests in various cities. In response, the parliament has withdrawn the bill. The events illustrate how the Brazilian parliament has become a dangerous place for women’s sexual and reproductive rights – a situation that has worsened due to an institutional dispute between the parliament and the constitutional court.

Abortion laws in Brazil
Brazilian criminal law, which dates back to 1940, criminalizes the voluntary interruption of pregnancy, with two exceptions: when the procedure is done to save the life of the pregnant woman and when the pregnancy is the result of rape…

Continued: https://verfassungsblog.de/legislating-reproductive-rights/

13.10.2024

Commentary

abortion law in Brazil

Bill 1904/24

Brazilian Penal Code

Child Pregnancy Bil

Eloísa Machado de Almeida

Brazilian Justice Accepts Father’s Request and Denies Abortion for Abused Teen

13-year-old teenager expressed desire to terminate pregnancy to the Tutelary Council

Jul.17.2024
Isabella Menon, SÃO PAULO

A 13-year-old teenager living in Goiás had her legal abortion denied by the Goiás Court of Justice, after her father went to court and requested the prohibition of the procedure.

The young girl is already 28 weeks pregnant, making the procedure more difficult.

In testimony to the Tutelary Council in her area, she stated that she wanted to terminate the pregnancy when she was 18 weeks along. In messages sent to the council, she said that if she did not have access to the procedure, she would find a way to do it on her own.

Continued: https://www1.folha.uol.com.br/internacional/en/scienceandhealth/2024/07/brazilian-justice-accepts-fathers-request-and-denies-abortion-for-abused-teen.shtml

17.07.2024

New abortion bill in Brazil sparks backlash

Lise Alves – The Lancet
July 06, 2024
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(24)01392-8

A bill that equates abortion after 22 weeks of gestation with homicide has led thousands of people to protest on the streets of Brazil's major cities. Many say that the legislation is an attack on women's rights, especially those who have been raped. “What is at stake is criminalising victims of sexual violence who terminate their pregnancy after 22 weeks”, said Vera Therezinha Medeiros Borges, a Professor at the College of Medicine at the State University of Sao Paulo.

On June 12, the Chamber of Deputies of Brazil approved speeding up discussions of Bill 1904/24, which would amend the country's penal code to establish harsher penalties for people who terminate their pregnancy after 22 weeks (from 1–3 years to 6–20 years in prison) and for doctors who conduct the procedure (from 1–4 years to 6–20 years in prison).

Continued: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(24)01392-8/fulltext?rss=yes

Brazilian politicians want criminal penalties for abortion

June 30, 2024
By Cassiane Saraiva, Nicole Luna

Rio de Janeiro, BRAZIL – In recent weeks, conservative efforts to punish women who get abortions – including child victims of rape – as criminals has spurred demonstrations and discussion on social media. Unfortunately, abortion access is something that we, as a society, must fight to achieve.

Abortion in Brazil is allowed in cases when childbirth is a risk to life to the mother or in cases of rape or if the fetus has brain damage. The problem is that here in Brazil, the process to be able to receive the right to abort is extremely slow.

Continued: https://youthjournalism.org/brazilian-politicians-want-criminal-penalties-for-abortion/

30.06.2024