In a landmark move for women’s rights, Argentina has become the largest Latin American country to legalise abortion.
Argentina’s senate approved the change in the law by 38 votes in favour to 29 against, with one abstention, reported The Guardian.
The change was announced early on Wednesday, 30 December to round off the year on a win for women’s health and reproductive rights.
Pro-choice campaigners erupted in celebration outside Buenos Aires’s congressional palace.
Argentina will become just the third South American country to allow elective abortions, after Uruguay, which did so in 2012, and Guyana, where it has been legal since 1995.
What Does the Bill Say Now?
The bill legalises terminations in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. For comparison, in India, our Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act of 1971 allows for abortion up to 20 weeks but the cabinet has approved a raise to 24 weeks.
Still, experts say that while legalised, abortion is far from every woman’s right due to issues of access, stigma and awareness.
Argentina’s bill was approved by their lower house earlier in December after being put forward by president Alberto Fernández.
The left-leaning present said that,
“There is this hypocritical Argentina that denies abortion, just as it used to deny homosexuality.”Alberto Fernández, President of Argentina
He called abortions a ‘public health matter,’ which is true as too many women die preventable deaths from complications as a result of unsafe abortions. Fernandez added that since 1983, more than 3,000 Argentinian women have died because of this.
(With inputs from The Guardian.)
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