Brazil's Supreme Court considers decriminalizing abortion: Voting to happen today

In Brazil, abortion is only allowed in three situations: rape, a risk to the woman’s life, or when the baby has an undeveloped brain. This week, however, might bring a change. On Friday, Brazil’s Supreme Court will begin voting on whether to allow abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. If the Supreme Court agrees, it means women could legally have an abortion within the first 12 weeks of being pregnant. This move follows Mexico’s Supreme Court’s recent decision to allow abortion across the country. Argentina and countries like Colombia, Chile, Peru, and Bolivia have also changed their abortion laws in recent years, despite being traditionally conservative. Cristião Fernando Rosas, from Global Doctors for Choice Brasil, says, “Here we are with a law that was created 82 years ago. We can no longer talk about the fact that this is a regional context - that’s tantamount to saying ‘we are against the rights of women’.” Not everyone agrees, though. Some are against abortion and believe life begins at conception. They see the Supreme Court’s move as a political one, influenced by leftist agendas. But Dr. Roberta Kronemberger Santos from the Women’s Hospital in Santo André disagrees. She says it’s not a political decision, but a matter of choice and individual rights. She’s seen women who tried unsafe abortions at home, leading to complications. Dr. Cristião Fernando Rosas adds, “Unfortunately in Brazil, it’s not just a question of abortion or of family planning, or the morning-after pill. It’s the imposition of religious fundamentalists who have hugely damaged public health and put lives at risk.” He suggests that those who don’t want an abortion should simply not use that right granted by the constitution.