Lawmakers in Argentina’s lower house on Friday passed a bill that would legalise abortion in most cases, responding to long-sought demands from women's rights activists.
The bill, which needs approval from Argentina's Senate in a debate expected before the end of the year, allows for abortions to be carried out up to the 14th week of pregnancy.
Backed by President Alberto Fernández, the bill was approved in a 131-117 vote with six abstentions after a debate that extended from Thursday into the early hours of Friday morning.
The Roman Catholic Church in Argentina appealed to legislators before the vote for “a second of reflection on what respect for life means", echoing the position of Pope Francis, an Argentine, that abortion is part of today’s “throwaway culture” that doesn’t respect the dignity of the unborn, the weak or elderly.
Green and blue flags outside Congress
Protesters supporting the bill had gathered outside Congress wearing green scarves for an overnight vigil to await the news. A similar vote to legalise abortion was narrowly defeated in 2018.
Opposition groups, wearing light blue scarves, also took to the streets to demonstrate against the bill.
The initiative includes a parallel bill which will face a separate vote to assist women who want to continue with their pregnancy and face severe economic or social difficulties.
Argentine law currently only allows the voluntary interruption of pregnancy when there is a serious risk to the mother or in the event of rape, although activists say many women often do not receive adequate care.
The country has seen a gradual rise in agnosticism in recent years. While the current government is strongly behind the bill, that was not the case in 2018 during the conservative administration of Mauricio Macri.
Latin America has some of the world’s most restrictive abortion laws. Mexico City, along with Cuba and Uruguay, are among the few places in the region where women can undergo abortions during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy regardless of the circumstances.
On Thursday, dozens of members of a group called the National Campaign for the Right to Free and Safe Legal Abortion gathered near congress and followed the lawmakers’ debate on large video screens set up outside the building. They wore green, in contrast with anti-abortion activists who often wear blue.
Abortion rights and anti-abortion demonstrators gathered in separate, designated areas under tight security. They wore masks as part of efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.
(FRANCE 24 with AP and REUTERS)
