Taiwan's justice ministry has rescinded a proposal to increase fines for illegal abortions after protests from legislators and women's rights activists.
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00:00Eliminate abortion and give me my right to self-determination.
00:04Legislators and women's rights organizations are at Taipei's legislature
00:07to protest against a proposed increase in fines for illegal abortions.
00:11The Justice Ministry has proposed a change to the criminal code
00:15that would increase fines for illegal abortions from around 100 US dollars
00:19to 2,500 US dollars.
00:21Groups here say there have only been 10 cases related to this criminal law
00:25in the last 10 years,
00:26so they're questioning why fines should be increased now.
00:29So we're very surprised and surprised to hear
00:33that the Justice Ministry is proposing a change to increase fines.
00:37So the Justice Ministry, I really want to ask,
00:39when did you come up with this?
00:42No.
00:43This is a kind of outdated and backward thinking
00:46that we absolutely cannot allow.
00:49Abortions in Taiwan are legal for pregnancies before 24 weeks,
00:52but women who are married have to get permission from a partner.
00:55These are restrictions people here say are harmful to women.
00:59This law may make it easier for this man to use abortion to control his wife.
01:04For example, if a divorced wife doesn't want to have children,
01:08the husband will say,
01:10OK, we have to abide by the principle of non-divorce
01:13before I allow you to abort.
01:15Groups are also arguing that abortion in Taiwan
01:17should be governed by the Genetic Health Act alone,
01:20and not by a criminal law.
01:22Scott Huang and Canice Coronta for Taiwan Plus.