The US Supreme Court is considering drastically rolling back the right to abortion in the United States. According to the Politico news site, the nation’s highest court has drafted a ruling that would overturn the famous Roe v. Wade case, which made abortion a constitutional right in 1973. force, would be a victory for the conservative States which multiply restrictions against abortion. And that arouses emotion in Canada and Spain.
In Canada, there are concerns about the contagion effect of this questioning of abortion
Canada is concerned about this questioning of the right to abortion on the other side of the border. We used to say that when the United States coughs, Canada catches a cold. Canadians are therefore wondering about the possible contagion effect at home of such a questioning. Especially since abortion was decriminalized in 1988 by a judgment of the Supreme Court of Canada, but this right is not the subject of a specific law. Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau therefore pledged a few days ago to consider legislating on the issue to sanctuary this right. “Unfortunately, we know with what we see among our neighbors to the south but also with what we see in the debates within the Conservative Party of Canada that we need to ensure that there are protections so that never we do not see this decline”did he declare.
No retreat, even if the real problem facing Canadian women today is that of access to abortion, which is still very complicated in certain provinces which have few clinics or hospitals practicing this procedure. Still, Canada could become a land of welcome for American women who may be deprived of this right in their respective states.
But is this right to abortion still the subject of debate in the country? According to the polls, it is overwhelmingly favored by Canadians. Nevertheless Justin Trudeau suspects the Conservatives, that is to say the Canadian right, of wanting to take advantage of the opportunity to restore their voice. They have among them many voters, particularly in the west of the country, and elected officials who do not hide the fact that they are anti-abortion. But their main leaders today deny this and claim that the debate in Canada is over.
In Spain, the government wants to strengthen the right to abortion
In Spain, the left government led by the socialist Pedro Sánchez presents, Tuesday, May 17, a bill to strengthen the right to abortion. This is called the new abortion law. This is a bill which will therefore be adopted by the Council of Ministers before being submitted to and voted on in Parliament. Remember that abortion was decriminalized in Spain in 1985, but women still face many obstacles when they want to have an abortion in this country.
First: because of a majority of doctors in the public sector who invoke their conscience clause to refuse to perform abortions. Not to mention the strong pressure from opposition associations, such as those exerted by the far-right Vox party. “You are part of a reactionary International which, like the United States, wants to ban women’s right to decide about their own bodies.declared the Minister of Equality and number two of Podemos, Irene Montero, on Wednesday May 11, addressing the spokeswoman of Vox in the Congress of Deputies to defend the right to abortion. Well, the Spanish government is going to present before this Congress a law to guarantee that all women who want to voluntarily terminate their pregnancy can do so, in complete safety, and in public centers.” Currently, around 80% of abortions are performed in the private sector in Spain. This bill therefore aims to guarantee that all women can have an abortion in a public health center and as close as possible to their homes.
In this bill, another key measure raises controversy: the possibility for minors, from the age of 16, to have an abortion without the authorization of their parents. This measure was already included in the socialist abortion law of 2010, but it had already provoked an outcry among conservatives. It was finally repealed in 2015 by the Popular Party government of Mariano Rajoy. This measure still arouses much criticism today. “I would never let a girl that age have a baby because she’s only 16 and still a child.says María Espada, grandmother of two teenagers. However, I would like his parents to be informed.”
The debates in Parliament promise to be stormy, especially since beyond abortion, this bill includes a series of measures in favor of women’s rights, in particular “menstrual leave” for workers who suffer from menstruation. very painful. A first in Europe.