Argentina legalized abortion Wednesday in the landmark vote closely watched by the anti-abortion and pro-choice activities in the country. The bill was approved by the Chamber of Deputies, and now it has been passed to allow abortions up to 14 weeks of Pregnancy.
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There were cheer and jubilation on the streets of the capital Buenos Aires, which was filled with pro-choice activists as the results came out after a 12-hour marathon session which voted for a 38-29 votes by senators, where 38 were in favor, 29 were against while 1 was in abstention. The debate was aired on large screens in the streets of Buenos Aires, and both, in favor and those against the abortion bill were waiting for the results. The demonstrators were separated though.
Argentina Move will inspire other countries to follow
Argentina is the most influential country in Latin America and the Catholic Church holds significance in the cultural decisions of the region. Part of the reason why abortions were not legalized in the country was that the Catholic Church in the country opposes the move. The Church had also called on various senators to vote against the bill. The bill, however, was supported by President Alberto Fernandez. Argentina’s “green wave” women’s movement which has been fighting whole-heartedly for the change for the past few years has been influential in bringing this major change in a conservative region. Its massive campaigning has been able to overturn the century-old law and after this step, the other countries in Latin America like Chile and Brazil will also be driven to rewrite their laws of women’s reproductive rights.
Legalizing Abortions will help to end Clandestine Terminations
Abortions, until now, were only legalized in situations of rape or medical distress of the mother. One year ago, an 11-year-old rape victim was forced to give birth after officials hindered her abortion in Argentina. Two years ago the legalizing abortion bill was rejected by the senators. When President Fernandez was campaigning, he promised to reintroduce the law in the legislation. Speaking of how legalizing abortion was a matter of public health, he said that “every year around 38,000 women are taken to hospital due to clandestine terminations and since the restoration of democracy [in 1983] more than 3,000 have died”. After the vote, the President took on Twitter to express the victory of women’s rights and the betterment of society. Another “1,000-day plan” was passed in the legislation to ensure better healthcare services to pregnant women and mothers.
‘Vilma Ibarra’, the one who drafted the law, was emotional in front of the reporters and said now no women will die of a clandestine abortion.
Argentina feels a mix of emotions as News comes out
Meanwhile, the anti-abortion activists were disappointed and spoke of how this vote has authorized the killing of developing life. Many cried out as the news broke out and many expressed dismay upon social media criticizing the decision. On the contrary, the pro-choice activists too flooded social media with positive messages and expressed how thrilled they were to hear this news.
