Dominican Republic: Lawmakers To Approve Abortion in Risk Cases

Dominican Republic's Lower House on Wednesday approved in the first instance a reform to the Penal Code that decriminalizes abortion when a woman's life is at risk.

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With 146 votes in favor and 14 against, lawmakers approved this possible new rule, which must be submitted to a second vote before being enacted by the Executive Branch.

The approval in the first discussion came after several days of reading the bill in the plenary session of Congress, where politicians focused their debates on the exceptional grounds that could justify the termination of pregnancy.

According to women's rights organizations, an adequate legislation should consider that the voluntary and legal termination of pregnancy can be carried out when there is rape or incest, incompatibility of the fetus with extrauterine life, or risk to the life of the pregnant woman.

Before Wednesday's discussion, however, 115 out of 156 Dominican lawmakers rejected the simultaneous approval of these three exceptional causes.

The rejection of the report of the proposal raised by feminist organizations was interpreted as a defeat for those seeking to expand the rights related to free, safe, and free abortion.

“It’s a shame that year after year, manifestation after manifestation, we have to continue asking for our autonomies over our bodies to be respected and that our freedom to make decisions about our sexual and reproductive health isn’t criminalized,” said Saray Figuereo, as reported by Latino Rebels.