Abortion Ecuador: Parameters for abortion in case of rape approved

One year after the law, how many abortions were there in Argentina?

0:45

(CNN Spanish) --

The Legislative Assembly of Ecuador will begin this Tuesday the second debate of the bill for the voluntary interruption of pregnancy in case of rape.

The text promotes the regulation of the practice of abortion in case of rape, which has been legal in Ecuador since 2021.

This project was delivered in June 2021 by the Ombudsman to the Assembly, as ordered by the Constitutional Court in its ruling that resolved the decriminalization of abortion in case of rape in the country on April 28, 2021.

• In these countries abortion is legal (and in these others it is not allowed under any circumstances)

The deadline for abortion in case of rape in Ecuador

One of the issues of the bill that has generated the most discussion among legislators and in society is the term that empowers a woman to request the voluntary interruption of pregnancy in the event of rape.

The Justice and State Structure Commission of the Assembly recommended in its report for the second debate that women victims of rape and under 18 years of age can terminate pregnancy up to 22 weeks of gestation, and women over 18 years of age can do so up to 20 weeks of gestation. While for women with disabilities who have been victims of rape, the commission asks to take into account the parameters established in the Clinical Practice Guide for therapeutic abortion care of the Ministry of Public Health.

According to the commission's report, the weeks of gestation will be "solely and exclusively" verified by a health professional after conducting medical examinations and if the weeks proposed are adjusted, the doctor may proceed to voluntary suspension. pregnancy resulting from rape.

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One year after the law, how many abortions were there in Argentina?

0:45

What guarantees must the State provide?

For the full exercise of the right to decide on the voluntary interruption of pregnancy in the event of rape, the bill emphasizes that the State must guarantee that women make decisions about their sexual and reproductive lives in an informed, free manner, without coercion, discrimination or violence of any kind.

In addition, it insists that the State must promote access to scientific, professional and timely information on methods to interrupt pregnancy;

as well as guaranteeing respect for the confidentiality, dignity and intimacy of women who will require psychological, legal and social support during a process that must be carried out safely and with medical attention before, during and after the interruption of pregnancy.

Before the decriminalization of abortion in case of rape in Ecuador by the Constitutional Court in 2021, Ecuadorian legislation allowed the practice of abortion only for women with intellectual disabilities, so the Court expanded this possibility for girls, adolescents or adult women who have suffered rape.

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Positions for and against

During this path to achieve the decriminalization of abortion in case of rape and to achieve its regulation, different groups of activists and citizen groups have spoken out in the last few hours for and against abortion in case of rape.

"It is time that we can count on a fair and reparative law for rape victims. The Assembly can make history and guarantee a dignified life and comprehensive reparation for girls and women in Ecuador. We will continue fighting for our right to decide!" tweeted this Monday Lita Martínez Alvarado, executive director of the Ecuadorian Center for the Promotion and Action of Women (Cepam Guayaquil), which has been an active part in the fight for women's rights.

While around 30 groups that reject the right to abortion, released a statement on Monday in which they say that "all human life is valuable, unique and unrepeatable and has its own dignity, which is not granted by the State, nor is it lost by the age, illness or adverse circumstances in which it was conceived.

The collective affirms that those who support the project currently under debate do not offer a solution to combat what they consider the main crime, rape.

What does President Lasso think about abortion in Ecuador?

In an interview broadcast on January 14 by the Ecuavisa chain, a CNN affiliate, the president of Ecuador, Guillermo Lasso, warned that he will veto the bill for the regulation of abortion in case of rape if it goes beyond the ruling of the Court Constitutional of 2021.

"A ruling that I respect, beyond not agreeing, but I respect it because it is my obligation. But what is happening now? They are taking advantage of that window to go beyond what the Constitutional Court established (...) not only in the personal field, but now as President of the Republic, my obligation will be to veto that law so that it does not go beyond the ruling of the Constitutional Court," Lasso told Ecuavisa.

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Human Rights Watch asks not to criminalize women

The Human Rights Watch organization, through a report on the impact of the criminalization of abortion in Ecuador published in July 2021, insisted that Ecuadorian laws criminalize abortion and violate the rights of women and girls by putting their rights at risk. life and your health.

“Ecuador must eliminate all criminal sanctions in cases of abortion.

At a minimum, it must ensure effective access to abortion in all legal cases and stop prosecuting women and girls who seek essential health care," Human Rights Watch said.

HRW asked the Ecuadorian authorities to offer the necessary guarantees so that women can access a safe abortion in the event of an unwanted pregnancy, access to education and timely care in different areas.

• Sexual violence and restrictions on abortion in Paraguay fuel an epidemic of child pregnancy, says Amnesty International

“Lawmakers and President Guillermo Lasso have an opportunity to end a cruel policy and join countries around the world that are reforming their legislation to facilitate access to abortion, in line with their human rights obligations. and with the recent pronouncement of the Constitutional Court", pointed out the organization HRW after analyzing different cases of women in Ecuador.