Abortion is legalised in Pope’s home country

ARGENTINA’S Senate has passed a law legalising abortion in Pope Francis’s homeland after a marathon 12-hour session, in a victory for the women’s movement that has been fighting for the right for decades.

The vote means that abortion will be legalised up to the 14th week of pregnancy, and also will be legal after that time in cases of rape or danger to the mother’s life. It will have repercussions across Latin America, where the procedure is largely illegal.

The measure was passed with 38 votes in favour, 29 against and one abstention. It was already approved by Argentina’s Chamber of Deputies and has the support of President Alberto Fernandez, meaning the Senate vote was its final hurdle.

“Safe, legal and free abortion is now the law,” Mr Fernandez tweeted after the vote, noting that it had been an election pledge.

“Today, we are a better society that expands women’s rights and guarantees public health,” he added.

Argentina is the largest Latin American country to legalise abortion, and the vote was being closely watched. With the exceptions of Uruguay, Cuba, Mexico City, Mexico’s Oaxaca state, the Antilles and French Guyana, abortion remains largely illegal across the region.

Outside the Senate, pro and antiabortion rights activists gathered, with the Bill’s supporters wearing the colour green that represents their abortion rights movement. Backers waved green flags as Vice-President

Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner, who presided over the debate, announced the result, shouting “legal abortion in the hospital” as the measure was passed.

Argentina, until now, has penalised women and those who help them have an abortion. The only exceptions were cases involving rape or a risk to the health of the mother, and activists complain even these exceptions are not respected in some provinces.

Before the Senate session began, the Pope weighed in, tweeting: “The Son of God was born an outcast, in order to tell us that every outcast is a child of God. He came into the world as each child comes into the world, weak and vulnerable, so that we can learn to accept our weaknesses with tender love.”

A previous abortion Bill was voted down by Argentine politicians in 2018, but this time it was backed by the centre-left government. The outcome of the latest vote, however, had still been considered uncertain. That was partly due to the fact that political parties gave their legislators freedom to vote as they chose.

Two of the 72 senators were absent, and 43 of the remaining 70 senators were men.

Argentina’s feminist movement has been demanding legal abortion for more than 30 years and activists say the Bill’s approval could mark a watershed in Latin America, where the Roman Catholic church’s influence has long dominated.

Supporters said the Bill seeks to eradicate the clandestine abortions that have caused more than 3,000 deaths in the country since 1983, according to figures from authorities.