Mexican activists hail abortion ruling but warn of lack of access to care

[Eugene]

Source: The Guardian

Mexican activists hail abortion ruling but warn of lack of access to care

Campaigners say many facilities and medical workers are likely to deny access since procedure is banned in many local jurisdictions

Lillian Perlmutter in Mexico City
Thu 7 Sep 2023 21.51 BST
First published on Thu 7 Sep 2023 20.09 BST

Human rights activists in Mexico have welcomed a historic ruling by the country’s supreme court that decriminalized abortion, but warned that the historic decision will not automatically make terminations accessible for all Mexican women.

Wednesday’s unanimous decision stripped away federal criminal penalties related to abortions – but not the many local laws banning the procedure, which remain on the books in 20 of Mexico’s 32 states.

Employees at government health facilities will no longer need to worry about federal penalties for carrying out an abortion, and the ruling is expected to provide pro-choice activists with a powerful precedent as they continue their state-by-state campaign to roll back restrictions.

But campaigners cautioned that many facilities and medical workers are likely to continue refusing to carry out terminations – sometimes in all cases, and sometimes if the woman is unable to prove she does not have the means to care for a child.

-snip-

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/sep/07/mexico-abortion-legalized-impact

Alternate non-walled link: https://archive.li/7ochf

[Judi Lynn]

1. Without a doubt, Mexico is going to be seeing a lot more U.S. American women after this.

It's a very large country. I would think the opportunities for women in the US who seek help there will be driving a lot of traffic south across the border. I have to wonder if the physicians who were forced to close in the US will open offices in Mexico now. Don't see why not!

"Medical touism" has been a big business in other countries, and it looks so natural Mexico's will be increasing rapidly.

You wouldn't have expected a country with so many life-long Catholics, and fundie Christians to be so clearly more responsive to women's needs like abortion!

AMLO has brought Mexico a long distance in a short time. Hope his favored candidate will be able to continue such important progressive growth after the next election.

Thank you.