Colima on Wednesday became the sixth entity to decriminalize abortion up to 12 weeks, with a vote of 12 in favor, 5 against and 4 abstentions.
With this the state joins Mexico City, Oaxaca, Veracruz, Hidalgo and Baja California.
During the session, members of pro-life groups shouted “murderer” or “murderer” at the deputies who voted in favor, while applauding those who did it against.
Read: In second vote Baja California approves the decriminalization of abortion
The deputy of Morena, Viridiana Valencia Vargas, highlighted the work of the women who promoted the initiative, said that they opened the way for the approval to be possible.
The deputy, who is pregnant said from the rostrum: “Who I carry in my womb is my child and it was my decision to have it, no one above my decisions, sex education to decide, contraceptives not to abort, legal abortion not to die.”
The member @Viri_VV in favour of the opinion on the voluntary interruption of abortion in favour of women’s right to decide. She explained that today is a historic day for women in #Colima as it advances one step further in the country, in the construction of an egalitarian Republic. pic.twitter.com/hX6d6ygQ8I
— H.Congreso de Colima (@congresocolima) December 2, 2021
The initiative eliminates sanctions against health personnel who perform consensual abortions, and the criminalization of women or pregnant people who are in danger of death or serious damage to health or for serious alterations of the product.
Health institutions must provide medical, psychological and social counseling services to women who request the termination of pregnancy. This must be done within a period not exceeding five days, counted from the request, says the initiative.
All women must be cared for by the state health services even if they have another public or private health service. It also guarantees the termination of pregnancy in the event of conscientious objection by medical personnel.
Find out: People around the world should have access to respectful and safe abortion services
The initiative, approved by the commissions of Legislative Studies, Constitutional Points, Health and Sport and Welfare, Social Inclusion and Gender Equity, adds two circumstances for legal abortion: when an authority denies abortion to a woman prior to 12 weeks of gestation and when health personnel fail to inform her about her right to termination of pregnancy within that period.
It also gives greater penalties to forced abortion. Now they will be 3 to 15 years in prison and a fine, while in the previous Criminal Code they went from 5 to 10 years and a fine.
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