07-01-2021 | 12:08 PM
Abortion Law of Argentina
Context
Argentina recently became the largest Latin American country to legalize abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy.
Key Highlights
Under the new law Argentina has legalised abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy. In India, abortion is legal till 24th week of pregnancy according to Medical Termination of Pregnancy (Amendment) act, 2020. Earlier it was 20 weeks.
Argentina's current abortion laws are deemed historical because prior to the passing of the bill abortions were permitted only in cases of rape or when the woman’s health was at serious risk. Since 1921, the activists of Argentina have been campaigning for a new law to overturn this rule.
Girls and women were forced to resort to illegal and unsafe procedures, as abortion was against the law. The scope of access to safe medical procedures for abortion was even narrower for girls and women from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds.
According to Human Rights Watch, unsafe abortion was the leading cause of maternal mortality in Argentina.
The bill calls for greater autonomy for women over their own bodies and control of their reproductive rights.
It also provides better healthcare for pregnant women and young mothers.
The passage of this law will have a significant impact in other Latin American countries. Currently abortions are illegal in El Salvador, Nicaragua and Dominic Republic. In some countries like Cuba, Uruguay, Guyana, women can request for abortion only in specific cases. Some of these countries even have imprisonment as punishment to illegal abortion.
Debates over abortions
There are differing opinions with regard to allowing abortions.
One opinion is that terminating a pregnancy is the choice of the pregnant woman and a part of her reproductive rights.
The other is that the state has an obligation to protect life, and hence should provide for the protection of the foetus.
Lawmakers who voted against the law continued to defend their stance that “The interruption of a pregnancy is a tragedy. It abruptly ends another developing life.”
The Catholic Church and the evangelical community, which wield immense power and influence in Argentina, had strongly opposed the passing of this bill.
