Abroad, many nations easing abortion access
Conservative societies have legalized procedure
BOGOTA, Colombia – As women in the United States find themselves on the verge of possibly losing the constitutional right to abortion, courts in many other parts of the world have been moving in the opposite direction.
That includes in a number of traditionally conservative societies – such as recently in Colombia, where the Constitutional Court in February legalized the procedure until the 24th week of pregnancy, part of a broader trend seen in parts of heavily Catholic Latin America.
The February ruling in Colombia established a broad right for women to have abortions within the 24-week period, whereas previously they could do so only in specific cases such as if a fetus presented malformations or a pregnancy resulted from rape. Abortion is still allowed after that period under those special circumstances.
Similarly, Mexico’s Supreme Court held last year that it was unconstitutional to punish abortion. As the country’s highest court, its ruling bars all jurisdictions from charging a woman with a crime for terminating a pregnancy.
To the south in Argentina, lawmakers in late 2020 passed a bill legalizing abortion until the 14th week and after that for circumstances similar to those described in the Colombia ruling.
It’s also widely available in Cuba and Uruguay.
But expansion of abortion access has not extended to all of Latin America, with many countries restricting it to certain circumstances – such as Brazil, where it’s permissible only in cases of rape, risk to the woman’s life and cases of the birth defect anencephaly.
Other places have total bans, such as Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador.
Many African nations also maintain complete bans, but in October 2021, Benin legalized abortion in most circumstances up to 12 weeks. That significantly increased safe access after the health minister reported that nearly 200 women were dying each year of complications from clandestine abortions.
Most European countries have legalized abortion, including predominantly Catholic ones. Ireland did so in 2018, followed by San Marino in a voter referendum last fall. It remains illegal in Andorra, Malta and Vatican City, while Poland last year tightened its abortion laws.
It’s widely available in Israel and relatively uncontroversial.
Laws and interpretations vary across the Muslim world.
Abortion has been legal up to 12 weeks in Tunisia for decades, but in Iran it’s been forbidden since the 1979 revolution. Last year the leader of Cairo’s top institution of Islamic clerics, Al-Azhar, said abortion is not the solution even in cases where a child is likely to be seriously ill or disabled.
In Japan, abortion is allowed only for economic and health reasons, and requires partners’ consent. Victims of sexual violence are excluded from the requirement.
Abortion has been legal in India since 1971. Women can terminate pregnancy up to 20 weeks on a doctor’s advice. Under changes in 2021, a woman can seek an abortion up to 24 weeks in circumstances such as rape or incest, with approval from two doctors.
China, which has one of the highest abortion rates in the world, is moving to limit abortions.