Portuguese Abortion Vote.
international |
gender and sexuality |
opinion/analysis 
Monday February 12, 2007 10:38
by Chris murray
Parliamentary Majority will carry legislation according to Socrates.
The Socialist Leader Jose Socrates insists that abortion rights will
be legalised in Portugal after a large abstention in the electorate.
The Leader of Christian Democratic Party Riberio de Castro says
that the referendum is not legally binding,Of the % that voted the right
to legal abortion was carried. The Socialist Party must now use
their parliamentary majority to legalise abortion as they promised in the 2005
election.
The legalisation of abortion in Portugal will be within the first ten weeks
of pregnancy and at the request of the woman, the abortion will be
allowed only within registered clinics.
In comparison with Columbia, which had it's first legalised abortion in
2006- [the girl was eleven], the laws are quite conservative.
Constitutional changes made it the responsibility of the State to provide
free , safe and Legal abortions to Columbian women in all hospital
facilities - with an offered opt-out on the grounds of ethos on an individual
basis to the medical practioner.
Socrates has taken a step.
The creation of registered clinics makes them vulnerable to attack and is not
change at a state level, but creation of a private industry, which can be abused.
The ten week rule also leaves women quite vulnerable because some may not
know or be aware of the pregnancy until that point or in some cases
later.
The legislation for the legalising abortion in Portugal should be studied by
women's rights campaigners in order that what they voted for be
considered and understood as a basic human right and also the
responsibility of the State to provide that right to the women who
came out and voted for the Socialists in 2005.
Solidarity.