Mexico abortion: High court ends federal ban, criminal penalties
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00:00 A historic day for women's rights in Mexico.
00:04 As on Wednesday, the country's Supreme Court chose to decriminalise abortion, ruling laws
00:10 that prohibit the procedure as unconstitutional and a violation of women's rights.
00:16 Federal public health services will now be required to offer abortion to anyone who requests
00:20 it, a key change, according to this women's rights activist.
00:26 "While it does not mean total decriminalisation throughout the country, it means the elimination
00:32 of the crime of abortion from the federal penal code.
00:35 Although it is a code that was not being used for the crime of abortion, it is important
00:40 in terms of access to services."
00:43 The decision comes two years after the court ruled that abortion was not a crime in the
00:48 northern state of Coahuila, which set off a slow process of decriminalisation, now the
00:54 case in 12 states across Mexico.
00:57 Abortion is still a criminal offence in many parts of the country, however, and while judges
01:01 in those states will have to abide by the court's decision, many experts said that
01:06 it would take time to see how Wednesday's ruling is applied.
01:10 Nevertheless, it is a huge step for Catholic-majority Mexico.
01:14 "This is for the people who have been raped, for those who have suffered abuse, and who
01:22 truly do not want to have that baby.
01:25 And also for those people who cannot afford to support their children and will give them
01:29 a bad life."
01:31 The ruling follows a trend in Latin America.
01:34 Argentina legalised the procedure in 2020, with Colombia following suit two years later.
01:40 A trend often referred to as a "green wave", in reference to the green bandanas carried
01:45 by women protesting for abortion rights in the region.