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Latin America and Caribbean

Dominican Republic: Church pushes draconian abortion law

April 23, 2009
Elizabeth Eames Roebling, IPS News

Having failed to reverse the country’s strict abortion laws two years ago, various women’s groups assembled to protest a new constitutional amendment, Article 30, which reads: "The right to life is inviolable from conception until death" – for the fetus, that is, not for the pregnant woman.

The amendment was introduced along with 43 others by President Leonel Fernandez, who asked for his entire party’s support.The debate has pitted civil society and medical groups against the heavy influence of the Catholic Church.

Both the College of Physicians and the Dominican Gynecology and Obstetrics Society have public positions in favor of therapeutic abortion to save the life of the mother or in the case of rape or incest.

• Read the complete article.


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