On Wednesday, activists in the Dominican Republic protested in the streets against a proposed new penal code that would uphold the nation’s complete prohibition on abortion. The bill received preliminary approval from the Dominican Senate in late June, and MPs are anticipated to make a final vote in the next few days. Because of the bill’s strong stance on abortion and other divisive topics, it has generated a lot of resistance.
Current Abortion Laws in the Dominican Republic
One of the few nations in Latin America that outright forbid abortion is the Dominican Republic. Abortion-related crimes carry terms of up to two years in jail for women, and sentences of five to twenty years for medical professionals such as doctors and midwives. The government’s stance has not altered in spite of several appeals for reform, leaving women with restricted access to safe medical procedures and limited reproductive rights.
Activists’ Demands and Concerns
Feminist activist Sergia Galván emphasized the ongoing struggle for reproductive rights, highlighting the dire need for legal exceptions to the abortion ban. Activists are advocating for abortion to be permitted when a woman’s life is at risk, when a pregnancy results from rape or incest, and in cases of severe fetal malformation incompatible with life.
There are other contentious aspects of the new criminal code besides the abortion debate. The LGBTQ community is threatened by its proposal to weaken the punishment for sexual assault in marriage and remove sexual orientation from the list of traits that are shielded from discrimination.Rosalba Díaz, a member of the Dominican Inclusive Lesbian Community, expressed her worries, saying that we are not included in the penal code that the Senate approved. It increases the likelihood that those with non-traditional sexual orientations or gender identities may experience ongoing prejudice.
Political Dynamics and Presidential Stance
President Luis Abinader, who secured a second term last May, initially suggested support for decriminalizing abortion under specific circumstances. However, after winning the election, his stance appeared to waver, disappointing many activists and supporters.
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