- Title: Chile lawmakers take 'first step' towards easing abortion rules
- Date: 29th September 2021
- Summary: VALPARAISO, CHILE (SEPTEMBER, 28, 2021) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS AT PRO-ABORTION MARCH PROTESTING AND CHANTING THROUGH THE STREETS NEAR THE NATIONAL CONGRESS DEMONSTRATOR HOLDING A SIGN THAT READS (Spanish) "No more hiding" DEMONSTRATORS WAVING A GIANT GREEN CLOTH WOMEN HOLDING A SIGN THAT READS (Spanish) "We give birth, we decide" VARIOUS OF DEMONSTRATORS ARRIVING TO THE DOORS OF THE NATIONAL CONGRESS
- Embargoed: 13th October 2021 01:36
- Keywords: Chamber Chile abortion bill deputies
- Location: VALPARAISO, CHILE
- City: VALPARAISO, CHILE
- Country: Chile
- Topics: South America / Central America,Lawmaking,Government/Politics
- Reuters ID: LVA002EWRV3UV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Chile's lower Chamber of Deputies approved on Tuesday (September 28) a plan to debate a bill that would expand the legal access for women to get abortions, despite opposition from the South American country's center-right government.
The lower house passed the motion with 75 votes in favour versus 68 against and two abstentions, which allows it to move forward examining the bill that proposed legalizing termination of pregnancy up to 14 weeks.
The bill still faces a lengthy process before it could become law. Chile in 2017 legalized abortion for women under conditions where their life was in danger, a fetus was unviable or when a pregnancy had resulted from rape.
The bill will now have to be reviewed by the legislative body's Commission for Women and Gender Equity and then be voted on again in the Chamber of Deputies, before moving up to the Senate.
A number of countries around conservative Latin America have taken steps to decriminalize abortion, including Argentina last year and Mexico, where the Supreme Court unanimously ruled this month that penalizing abortion is unconstitutional.
(Production: Rodrigo Garrido, Andrea Rodriguez, Geraldine Downer) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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