Spain's far left aims to enshrine abortion as constitutional right
Spain's far-left Sumar party Sumar, part of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez's coalition, said Wednesday they want anchor the right to abortion in the constitution as France did this week.
"France and its women have shown that progress is possible and necessary ... it is time to fully guarantee the rights of all women," the party led by Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz wrote on X, formerly Twitter, two days before International Women's Day.
Sumar spokeswoman Aina Vidal told a news conference that it was time to "move forward" on the issue.
Decidir sobre nuestros cuerpos es un derecho que tiene que estar recogido en la Constitución.
Las mujeres francesas nos han mostrado el camino: tenemos que blindar el derecho a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo.
pic.twitter.com/9GFDKcMI8y
— Yolanda Díaz (@Yolanda_Diaz_) March 6, 2024
"We invite all the political parties with whom we have already discussed the issue to open this social debate," she added.
Spain in 2022 criminalised the harassment or intimidation of women seeking an abortion. The move means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies can now face up to a year in jail.
The country decriminalised abortion in 1985 in cases of rape, if a foetus is malformed, or if a birth poses a serious physical or psychological risk to the mother.
The scope of the law was broadened in 2010 to allow abortion on demand in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Even so, Spanish women still face obstacles, with many doctors in the public sector refusing to carry out the procedure.
France on Monday became the first country in the world to offer explicit protection for terminating a pregnancy in its basic law after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favour of the measure.
Comments
See Also
"France and its women have shown that progress is possible and necessary ... it is time to fully guarantee the rights of all women," the party led by Labour Minister Yolanda Díaz wrote on X, formerly Twitter, two days before International Women's Day.
Sumar spokeswoman Aina Vidal told a news conference that it was time to "move forward" on the issue.
Decidir sobre nuestros cuerpos es un derecho que tiene que estar recogido en la Constitución.
— Yolanda Díaz (@Yolanda_Diaz_) March 6, 2024
Las mujeres francesas nos han mostrado el camino: tenemos que blindar el derecho a la interrupción voluntaria del embarazo.
pic.twitter.com/9GFDKcMI8y
"We invite all the political parties with whom we have already discussed the issue to open this social debate," she added.
Spain in 2022 criminalised the harassment or intimidation of women seeking an abortion. The move means anti-abortion activists who try to convince women not to terminate their pregnancies can now face up to a year in jail.
The country decriminalised abortion in 1985 in cases of rape, if a foetus is malformed, or if a birth poses a serious physical or psychological risk to the mother.
The scope of the law was broadened in 2010 to allow abortion on demand in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy.
Even so, Spanish women still face obstacles, with many doctors in the public sector refusing to carry out the procedure.
France on Monday became the first country in the world to offer explicit protection for terminating a pregnancy in its basic law after lawmakers overwhelmingly voted in favour of the measure.
Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.
Please log in here to leave a comment.