Spain's Abortion Law Under Threat Despite Rescue
Spain's Abortion Law Under Threat Despite Rescue
The ruling party is pushing ahead with a restriction on minors and the current abortion law--safeguarded in September--could be weakened by a decision of the country's Constitutional Court. But for now, pro-choice activists are breathing a sigh of relief.
MADRID (WOMENSENEWS)--When the government of Mariano Rajoy decided last September to scrap its plans to adopt one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe, activist Marisa Soleto realized she could slow down and refocus her energies.
"It has been two years of local and national mobilization. The level of our work has now decreased…We look forward to returning to normality," said Soleto, director of Fundación Mujeres (Women's Foundation), which works to improve the social, political and economic status of women. "The worst danger has passed so now we can come back to the traditional agenda of our organization." Soleto doesn't think abortion will be very important in the country's upcoming December elections since the ruling party abandoned its initiative knowing it would have worked against them in the elections.
But that doesn't mean her work is done. "Our battle is also focused in Europe," she said in an interview at the foundation's headquarters in Madrid. "We don't want what happened in Spain to happen in Europe, and we want to try to avoid a situation again where a change in government will be a problem for women's rights."
In December 2013 Spain's conservative Popular Party followed up on a campaign promise and announced plans to tighten the country's liberal abortion law. The current law, amended in 2010 by the then-socialist government, allows abortion on demand up to the 14th week of pregnancy and up to 22 weeks if there is a risk to the mother's health or if the fetus has serious problems. It brings Spain in line with most of the European Union.
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http://womensenews.org/story/abortion/150208/spains-abortion-law-under-threat-despite-rescue
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