The women's movement in Mexico is celebrating a great success.
The Supreme Court declares the criminalization of abortion unconstitutional.
Mexico City - It was a downright historic decision.
This is how the presiding judge saw it: “Today is a historic day for the rights of all Mexican women,” said Arturo Zaldívar, for whom the judgment represented a “step in the struggle for the dignity of women”: “This is a turning point in the History of the rights of all women, especially the weakest. "
Previously, Mexico's Supreme Court had unanimously declared an absolute ban on abortion unconstitutional.
A fetus must be protected, but the right of women to reproductive freedom should not be disregarded, the court ruled.
An abortion in the early stages or in the event of rape, endangering the health of the pregnant woman or an incapacitated fetus should not be prosecuted.
This makes Mexico the most populous country with a Catholic majority in which abortion is decriminalized.
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For years, activists in Mexico have been taking to the streets against the previous abortion law, here for example in September 2020 in Guadalajara.
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Abortion ban declared unconstitutional in Mexico
The decision related to the abortion ban in the northern state of Coahuila, which the court was dealing with. According to the law, women who choose to have abortions could be sentenced to between one and three years in prison. With its decision, the court created a national precedent. In any case, the court left no doubt that the ruling would have far-reaching consequences for all of Mexico. Since a majority of more than eight votes was achieved, all judges at the local and federal level would have to orientate themselves on the decision, according to a statement by the Supreme Court.
In the North American country with around 126 million inhabitants, there is currently no uniform regulation.
So far, only in the capital and in three of the 31 states (Oaxaca, Veracruz and Hidalgo) were abortions allowed in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy.
In all other states, abortion was only legal in the event of rape.
Abortion: Women in Mexico have fought the law for years
The verdict was preceded by a year-long struggle by women's groups that began with the legalization of abortion in Mexico City in 2007. Again and again the people of Mexico had taken to the streets of the big cities to demand more rights and protection. Now these efforts were crowned with success. "It's a huge step towards legalization across the country," said Rebeca Ramos, executive director of the women's rights organization GIRE.
According to GIRE, clandestine abortions are the fourth leading cause of maternal death in Mexico.
Abortion is a controversial issue in many Latin American countries.
In El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, the Dominican Republic and Haiti, abortions are prohibited, in many other countries only allowed after rape or for health reasons.
Mexico |
Official: United Mexican States |
capital city |
Mexico City |
president |
Andrés Manuel López Obrador |
population |
128.9 million (2020 estimate) |
Abortion in Mexico: a role model for the US?
Of course, the decision also provoked massive criticism. The Catholic Church immediately condemned the verdict. The Bishops' Conference of Mexico spoke in a tweet of a "murder law". when life is exposed to such danger, one cannot simply remain indifferent and remain silent, said Bishop Alfonso Miranda Guardiola in a sermon.
Activists, on the other hand, are now hoping that the success in Mexico should also give US women a boost who see the right to abortion in the USA * at risk.
After all, a so-called heartbeat law * has been in force in Texas for a few days, which prohibits most abortions.
This shows that it is possible to change something, said Giselle Carino of the women's rights organization International Planned Parenthood Federation.
"If you are exposed to adverse circumstances, you would have to double your stake." (Cs with agencies)
* fr.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
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