Women’s groups call for total decriminalization of abortion in Ecuador

On Tuesday, feminist groups filed a lawsuit with Ecuador’s Constitutional Court seeking to decriminalize abortion by declaring unconstitutional the articles of the Penal Code that identify and punish it as a crime.

Angélica Porras, from the Popular Legal Action group, told reporters that the action aims to eliminate “the criminalization of a woman’s right to decide” and recalled that two years ago abortion was decriminalized in cases of rape, “which is not enough.”

In Ecuador, voluntary termination of pregnancy is legal up to 12 weeks of gestation only when it is the result of rape.

“This represents discrimination against women who have decided to terminate their pregnancy without rape as a reason. We are advocating for women’s right to be autonomous,” Porras added.

The data on abortion in Ecuador are not close to reality because most of them are carried out in clandestine conditions, although according to official figures since the decriminalization of rape, 611 abortions have been performed.

The Constitutional Court, which must initially accept the request, has no deadline to respond.

Johana Zambrano, from the La Tejedora Women’s Group, said, “We believe that it is our right, we demand it, legal and safe abortion must be approved.”

Other groups have expressed their radical opposition to this initiative and have demanded respect for life from conception. In the past they have held demonstrations and marches with hundreds of participants dressed in white in defense of the unborn.

Among the American countries that allow abortion without any conditions are Argentina, Uruguay and Cuba. The United States and Canada also allow it, while in Bolivia, Colombia and Peru it is possible in cases of rape. In Brazil, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay and Venezuela it is permitted when there is a threat to the mother’s health and some Mexican states have added other causes.

El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras and the Dominican Republic prohibit abortion without exceptions.

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