73 Percent of Chileans Support Abortion, a IPSOS Survey Holds

The company IPSOS published a survey according to which 73 percent of Chileans support abortion. In this group, 41 percent of those interviewed think that abortion should be allowed without restrictions and 32 percent of citizens believe it should be permitted in certain circumstances such as rape cases.

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According to the IPSOS data, 7 percent of Chileans totally oppose the termination of pregnancy and 12 percent are against abortion except when the mother's life is in danger.

These data appear at a time when the plenary session of the Lower House will analyze the decriminalization of abortion up to 14 weeks of gestation. Previously, however, the Commission for Women and Gender Equality issued an unfavorable report on this proposal.

In Chile, abortion is currently regulated by Law 21,030, which decriminalized abortion under three circumstances: fetal non-viability, endangerment of mother's life, and rape.

"It is a limited legislation that only protects women in exceptional and very strictly defined situations. It imposes severe penal sanctions on those who decide to abort but are not falling within the three causes provided by the law” the Regional Center for Human Rights and Gender Justice (RCHRGJ) explained.

In this regard, Minister of Women and Gender Equality Monica Zalaquett announced that President Sebastian Piñera's administration will not re-open the debate on abortion.

On Sept. 28, the Chilean Abortion Action Table (CAAT) organized a march to commemorate the Global Day of Action for Safe and Legal Abortion and demand the enactment of a law that would guarantee it in Chile.