Activists supporting the decriminalization of abortion in Mexico
Mexico’s Supreme Court voted on Tuesday, September 6, 2021, to decriminalize abortion, a striking step in a country that holds one of the world’s largest Catholic populations. The court took up the issue on Monday when eight out of eleven justices voted to revoke a law in the state of Coahuila that punished women with up to three years in prison for having an abortion, even in the case of rape. (The Washington Post)
While the decision only addressed the law in two states, the justices assured that this would establish a precedent that applies to all states, which innately paves the way for systematic changes of the law across the country. (Wall Street Journal) This decision has been celebrated as a major victory for the women’s rights movement across Latin America that has been working to establish abortion rights for all women.
“Mexico’s decision represents a turning point that Latin America and the Caribbean are making in recognizing women’s rights to abortion as a matter of fundamental rights and reproductive rights,” said Debora Diniz, an anthropologist and founder of a Brazilian women’s rights organization. (Wall Street Journal) This new step was not only necessary to continue to ignite change across the country, but it was also fundamental to establish more resources for women in Mexico. This decision was also influenced by female politicians who now make up half of the National Congress in Mexico and are working to ensure gender equality. (The Washington Post)
The decriminalization of abortion in Mexico follows after the new Texas abortion law that bans most abortions as early as 6 weeks of pregnancy —before many women know they are pregnant— which came into effect on Wednesday, September 1, 2021. The Texas law signed by Gov. Greg Abbott states that physicians can’t perform an abortion knowingly if there is “a detectable fetal heartbeat.” (Wall Street Journal) This new law makes Texas the most restrictive state in the United States for abortion access. In comparison to Mexico’s politics, the new Texas law is restricting and preventing women from making a choice about their pregnancies and their livelihoods. Their restrictive actions is not about being pro-choice, it is about dictating women’s bodies and creating an oppressive environment. This law is particularly concerning due to the impact it may have on black women in the state of Texas who already have high maternal mortality rates. About 70 percent of abortions in Texas in 2019, were provided to women of color, according to the Guttmacher Institute. (New York Times) Now that women in Coahuila, which borders the state of Texas, can choose to terminate their pregnancies through the first trimester, Avila-Guillen, executive director of the Women's Equality Center, suggests that some American women may benefit from Mexico's new law.
With this new ruling in Mexico, the hope is that change will continue to occur to dismantle the oppressive systems in place. Like Melissa Ayala, coordinator of litigation for the Mexican feminist organization GIRE states “This will not only have an impact in Mexico; it will set the agenda for the entire Latin American region.” (Washington Post)
Sources:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/09/07/mexico-abortion-supreme-court/
https://www.npr.org/2021/09/07/1034925270/mexico-abortion-decriminalized-supreme-court
https://www.texastribune.org/2021/05/18/texas-heartbeat-bill-abortions-law/
No comments:
Post a Comment