Women’s groups have been protesting for weeks now in front of Congress demanding legislators vote in favor of the three grounds for abortion in the Dominican Republic. Now, women’s groups say they will camp out in front of the Presidential Palace.
The three grounds are:
• The life of the mother is at risk.
• The fetus is unviable.
• The pregnancy resulted from rape or incest.
Women groups are lobbying for the mention of abortion as a criminal act to be completely removed from the Penal Code that is reviewed in the Chamber of Deputies. They would accept that a special bill legalize abortion under the three exceptions, but the mention in the Penal Code would first need to be removed as part of the amendments to the Penal Code. The women’s groups say the special bill on the three causes would need to pass before passing the Penal Code.
Legislators of the ruling Dominican Modern Party (PRM) had backed the three grounds when they were opposition. Now that the PRM won the Presidency and is majority in Congress, a large number of PRM legislators, under the leadership of president of the Chamber of Deputies Alfredo Pacheco, propose leaving the criminalizing of abortion in the Penal Code and beginning discussions of a bill including the three grounds under which abortion would be acceptable in the country. Senator Faride Raful (PRM-National District) won her seat openly being in favor of the three grounds. She competed against Rafael Paz of the then ruling Dominican Liberation Party (PLD) who openly campaigned against her with the Catholic and Evangelic churches’ full backing. Senator Raful leads the position in favor of the three causes for the women’s group. She has the backing of the Minister of Women, Mayra Jiménez.
For years, abortion has been criminalized with long jail terms contemplated. Nevertheless, to this date, the courts have yet to prosecute the first physician for carrying out an abortion. An estimated 75,000 abortions are carried out every year, mostly to poor women.
Women’s groups say they will be taking the protests to other cities. San Juan de la Maguana, Barahona, Santiago, La Romana and San Cristóbal protests are organized. Likewise, for Thursday, 18 March at 6am, a protest march is organized from Columbus Circle to Central Park. The protest is named the 3K for the 3C (causes). The women’s group see abortion as a public health issue, not a religious matter.
Catholic and Evangelic groups are also revving up their followers to defend their position for the continuing of all restrictions against abortion of any kind.
The Dominican Republic is one of only five countries around the world that does not accept the three grounds. In Rome, where the Vatican See is located, abortion is accepted and paid for by the Italian government.
Read more in Spanish:
Acento
Diario Libre
15 March 2021