Three grounds for interrupting pregnancy heats debates on International Women’s Day
The three grounds for exceptions to the banning of abortion in the Dominican Republic are a trending topic on the International Day of Women. Protest groups have urged Congress to include the three grounds in the Penal Code. The Chamber of Deputies president Alfredo Pacheco (National District -PRM) has instead favored a separate bill drafted for the three exceptions. Yet, women groups advocate that first the criminalizing of abortion needs to be removed from the Penal Code that is being reviewed in Congress.
The three grounds are:
• The life of the mother is at risk.
• The fetus is unviable.
• The pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.
Senator Faride Raful (National District-PRM) called for the deputies to remove the criminalizing of abortion from the Penal Code if the legislators insist on sending a separate bill on the three grounds. She says if the legislators want a special bill, then they need to first eliminate the mention of abortion in the Penal Code.
The Gender Institute at Intec university in Santo Domingo issued a statement advocating for the passing of the three grounds for voluntary interruption of pregnancy and other measures in favor of women’s rights on the occasion of International Women’s Day. The statement goes a step beyond and demands the human rights of women to make their own decisions.
Source: DR1, Hoy
Mar 9, 2021
Category: DR News |