Abortion and the law

Popular consensus is that the partido Popular should withdraw the bill that proposes to force girls age 16 and 17 to have the consent of their parents before going ahead with an abortion. 22 different international and national rights groups in madrid have sent letters today to the head of the political party's legislators in Congress and UN bodies to be considered while the bill is examined in Congress.

 

The groups said that the proposal is a serious threat to the health ans sexual reproductive rights of girls in Spain, creating barriers to legal and safe abortion methods. This creates the risk of girls turning to risky illegal methods if they are denied the procedure because they don't want their parents to find out.

 

The changes would oblige 16 and 17 year old girls to get consent from their legal guardian before they would be allowed access to a Termination. There are no exceptions made for cases which involve the risk of violence, abuse or serious conflict. If the bill were to pass and a parent refused to gie their Consent for the girl the girl to have the procedure, she would have to then take them to court. Should a court make a decision that would so heavily influence a girls future and well being on her behalf?

 

International human rights law says that it is fundamental that a woman has access legal and safe Abortions as part of her human rights, rights to life, equality, freedom from discrimination, equality, health, and privacy. The UN Working Group on Discrimination against Women in Law and Practice and the UN Committe on the Rights of the Child are in agreement with the pro-rights groups, stating that parents do not necessarily have the right to make decisions on the reproductive choices of their daughters. 

 

The current law in Spain requires that 16 and 17 year old girls inform their legal guardians but not they they get their consent in order to have the procedure and where there is risk of violence, family conflict etc this is lifted.

 

3.6 percent of all Abortions performed in Spain in 2014 were for 16 and 17-year-old girls, 12.37 percent didn't inform their parents, due to those risks (400 girls).