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November 20, 2006
Nicaragua abortion ban signed into law
This is some seriously depressing news:
Hopes among women’s groups in Nicaragua that President Enrique Bolaños would stop one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Latin America from taking effect have been dashed, as the president signed it into law late Friday.Abortion has been illegal in Nicaragua for more than a century, and most women who decide to end unwanted pregnancies seek procedures at underground clinics. But the new law strikes out a clause that made it possible for a woman to obtain an abortion legally when three doctors certified that unless she did, her own life would be in danger.
Got that? Even if your life is in danger—sorry the fetus rules all. Juana Jiménez, the leader of the Women’s Autonomous Movement said that the law “is a throwback to the Middle Ages for women’s rights.”
The president even asked for a 30-year prison term for women who had illegal abortions, luckily (if you can call this lucky) the lesser term of six years in prison remains in the law. Sigh.
Posted by Jessica at November 20, 2006 10:29 AM