Jamaica – Church hypocrisy on abortion

Junior minister Cuthbert-Flynn lashes religious leaders for ignoring rapists, men who impregnate teens

Monday, May 03, 2021
BY BRITTNY HUTCHINSON

CHURCH leaders came in for strong lashing yesterday for their strident opposition to the decriminalisation of abortion while remaining mostly silent concerning men who rape and impregnate women and girls, often forcing them to abort the pregnancy.

Seemingly a lone voice in the parliamentary wilderness as she battles for decriminalising of abortions — pre-term removal of the foetus from the uterus — junior minister for health and wellness Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn also wants the men who put women in that situation to be punished, including being sent to prison.

Continued: https://www.jamaicaobserver.com/front-page/church-hypocrisy-on-abortion-junior-minister-cuthbert-flynn-lashes-religious-leaders-for-ignoring-rapists-men-who-impregnate-teens_220538

Argentina’s Abortion Legislation Sparks Hope in Caribbean

February 14, 2021
By Kate Chappell (IPS)

HAVANA TIMES – It was a joyful, tearful celebration in the early morning hours of Dec. 30, 2020 for countless Argentinians when they heard the news: the senate had legalized terminations up to 14 weeks of pregnancy. Prior to this, activists have said that more than 3,000 women died of botched, illegal abortions since 1983. And across the Latin American and Caribbean (LAC) region, this renewed sense of optimism was compounded after President Joe Biden rescinded what is known as the “global gag rule,” which essentially denied funding to international non-profit organizations that provided abortion counseling or referrals.

Now, women and campaigners across LAC are hopeful that these developments will spur lawmakers to consider decriminalizing abortion in their countries, sparing women their lives, economic well-being, dignity and access to a range of options to make the best choice for their reproductive and overall health.

Continued: https://havanatimes.org/features/argentinas-abortion-legislation-sparks-hope-in-caribbean/

Jamaica – No referendum on abortion

WE-Change
Jamaica
Tuesday | February 9, 2021

We have been
here before. We were here in 1975 when Health Minister Kenneth McNeill, after
his recognition of the high mortality rate of Jamaican mothers and the increase
in complications as a result of unsafe abortion practices, placed the need for
amendments to the 1865 Act to allow for abortions in special circumstances
(cases on incest, statutory rape, and carnal abuse).

We were here in 2007, when Minister Horace Dalley commissioned the Abortion
Policy Review Group to engage research about the landscape of abortion in
Jamaica and they presented a document with recommendations on a potential way
forward. We were here in 2018 and 2019, when MP Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn put forth
a motion to repeal the sections of the Offences Against the Person Act that
makes abortions illegal and replace it with civil law, Termination of Pregnancy
Act.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/letters/20210209/letter-day-no-referendum-abortion

Jamaica – Abolishing our antiquated abortion law

Alando N. Terrelonge
Published:Tuesday | February 9, 2021

True gender equality cannot be achieved unless and until we relinquish our pervasive desire to enslave, control, and police the body and dignity of women. A woman must have the very basic human right and freedom to make autonomous decisions concerning her own body. Our common humanity demands that we respect the humanity of all our women and abolish our antiquated abortion law, which shackles true female empowerment beneath the brutal and agonising whip of a misogynistic and patriarchal era that ought to be obsolete. Regrettably, the present national discussion and debate surrounding abortion has resurfaced the expected fire and brimstone temperatures of controversy. That we can debate and argue any matter with freedom and without fear as a modern democracy is good and commendable. However, it matters that the debate and arguments remain fair.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20210209/alando-n-terrelonge-abolishing-our-antiquated-abortion-law

09.02.2021

Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn

Jamaica – Churches must back off from abortion issue, says Reverend

Sunday | February 7, 2021
Corey Robinson - Senior Staff Reporter

Discussions on abortion should not be limited to religion and morality, and according to one man of the cloth, if the churches are not prepared to consider the social implications of the practice, they best take a back pew and leave the discussion solely to the policymakers.

Straight-talking Anglican cleric, the Reverend Sean Major-Campbell – while reinforcing his long-standing view that Christianity is only effective so far as its relevance to the lives of people – said church leaders who take a myopic approach on the abortion discussion are doing a disservice to Jamaican women.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/news/20210207/churches-must-back-abortion-issue-says-reverend

Jamaica – Abortion debate escalates with CAPRI recommendation on minors

6 FEBRUARY 2021

The ongoing debate over whether to legalise abortion in Jamaica has escalated with the controversial recommendation from the Caribbean Policy Research Institute (CAPRI) that minors be allowed to access an abortion on their own without the consent of a parent.

The controversial position was put forward by CAPRI in its European Union-funded report titled: Coming to Terms: The Social Costs of Unequal Access to Safe Abortions, the findings of which were presented Thursday during a webinar.

Continued: https://www.loopjamaica.com/content/abortion-debate-escalates-capri-recommendation-minors

Abortion debate shouldn’t be about morality

Saturday | February 6, 2021
Kimberley Roach

As a young, black, Caribbean woman from rural Jamaica, I write to you with much dismay. Jamaica’s ongoing abortion debate frankly feels like a debate we should’ve had in the late 1990s, and although some developed countries like the United States are somewhat still debating abortion’s place in the society, we have the opportunity to project Jamaica in a positive direction.

Undoubtedly, Jamaica suffers from immense Stockholm syndrome from its relationship with colonial jurisprudence. This is evident in our current legislative framework around buggery and other archaic laws, which the metropole mother Britannia herself has rejected since she recognises that her society continues to evolve.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/letters/20210206/letter-day-abortion-debate-shouldnt-be-about-morality

06.02.2021

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Opinion

Kimberley Roach

Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development

Sustainable Development Goals

Jamaica – Millions for illegal abortions

Millions for illegal abortions - Taxpayers fork out US$1.4 million annually for thousands of abortion complications; poorest families suffer most, CAPRI study finds

Sunday | January 31, 2021
Corey Robinson - Senior Staff Reporter, Jamaica Gleaner

Some 22,000 pregnancies are aborted annually in Jamaica, and this is only a
rough estimate from research done by the Caribbean Policy Research Institute
(CAPRI), which believes that the figures for the clandestine, criminal acts
could be more.

The data further revealed that Jamaican taxpayers fork out approximately US$1.4
million each year to fund the country’s healthcare system’s struggle with
complications caused from unsafe abortions islandwide.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/lead-stories/20210131/millions-illegal-abortions-taxpayers-fork-out-us14-million-annually

Let’s Do The Right Thing Now About Abortion

Jaevion Nelson
Published: Wednesday | January 20, 2021

The men of the cloth and their surrogates, including those in the Love March Movement (who betray everything their name suggests), have awkwardly awakened from their deep slumber.

It’s funny when you think how easily topics like buggery, gambling and abortion jolt them into ‘action’.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20210120/jaevion-nelson-lets-do-right-thing-now-about-abortion

20.01.2021

Jamaica Offences Against the Person Act

Juliet Cuthbert-Flynn

Next Move On Abortion Trail

Published: Monday | January 11, 2021

When members of parliament (MPs) move to the front benches – as Juliet Cuthbert Flynn has, to become a member of the executive – they are expected, personal views notwithstanding, to toe the line of the party or government.

As of now, on this matter, Mrs Cuthbert Flynn is under no such constraint. For the Holness administration has not made a clear statement on its position on abortion. Neither, 10 months later, has it said how it intends to proceed on the recommendation by Parliament’s Human Resources and Social Development Committee that it holds a conscience vote on the matter.

Continued: http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/commentary/20210111/editorial-next-move-abortion-trail

11.01.2021