Civil society and citizen groups met on Sunday, 18 February 2018 to campaign for Congress to pass amendments to decriminalize abortion in the cases when the life of the mother is in danger, or there has been rape or incest.
One week before the start of the next legislative term, the Women and Health Collective and the Coalition for Women’s Rights and Life launched the campaign where they will be asking for citizens to sign the petition. Dozens of organizations participated in the event, including the Green March Movement and other entities.
The group met on Sunday, 18 February 2018 at the house of artist Silvano Lora to ask legislators to decriminalize abortion. Cinthya Velasco, director of the Women and Health Collective,said that they hope the legislators will hear the voices of the citizens who daily demonstrate in favor of the protection of women, said Cinthya Velasco, director of the Women and Health Collective.
She emphasized that the consultation made by Profamilia in 2016 to university women revealed that 74.5% are in favor of excluding the penalty when the woman’s life is at risk, 72.7% when the pregnancy is unfeasible and 70.6% when it is a product of a rape or incest.
The event took place at a time a San José de Ocoa court ordered three months pre-trial custody to 20-year old Aris Nurys Tejada Ortiz accused of undergoing an abortion. She was ordered to hold jail in the Centro de Corrección y Rehabilitación de Baní Mujeres in Peravia. Art. 317 of the Dominican Penal Code contemplates sentences of two to five years in the cases of provoked abortions.
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Diario Libre
Diario Libre
19 February 2018
