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SLOVAKIA - LEGISLATIVE BARRIERS GO UP FOR ABORTION
By Pavol Stracansky
BRATISLAVA, Jun 26 (IPS) - Rights groups in Slovakia have
attacked new abortion legislation they say not only breaches women's rights to
privacy and regulations on medical confidentiality but could force some women
into undergoing risky, illegal abortions.
Under the legislation, approved last week, women who want
abortions will only be able to undergo the procedure two days after they have
been given official advice on the ‘risks and alternatives’ by their doctor.
Information about them, including an identity number given to every Slovak at
birth, will also be sent to a state health information institute.
The age at which adolescents have to gain their parents’
informed consent for an abortion has also been raised from 16 to 18.
But the legislation continues to allow abortion on request
up until 12 weeks of pregnancy and until 24 weeks if the foetus has a genetic
defect or the woman’s life or health is in danger.
Christina Zampas, senior legal advisor for Europe at the
Centre for Reproductive Rights, told IPS: "This is the first time that an
EU member state has managed to create significant barriers to women accessing
abortion.
"This runs against a worldwide trend of liberalisation
of abortion laws which reflect the fact that creating barriers to abortion does
not reduce abortion numbers, it merely endangers women’s health and
rights."
MPs from the ruling coalition Movement for a Democratic
Slovakia (HZDS) party and far-right Slovak National Party (SNS) who proposed
the laws have dismissed the concerns from women’s rights groups.
Stefan Zelnik of the SNS told Slovak media after the law was
passed by parliament: "I am convinced that after (women receive) this
qualified counselling the number of terminations will fall, which is what we
want - to allow life for everything that has a chance of life."
The number of abortions in Slovakia in 2007 - the latest
year for which figures are available - was 336 per 1,000 live births, according
to the World Health Organisation (WHO). The country’s maternal mortality rate
for 2002 - the most recent year in which the figures were available - was 1.97
per 100,000 live births, according to the WHO.
Pro life groups welcomed the legislation, which has yet to
be signed into law by the president, saying it would, among other things, help
stop sexual abuse as girls would have to inform their parents before they could
terminate their pregnancies.
But women’s rights groups have said passages in the law,
especially the raising of the age at which parental consent must be given for
the procedure, will make many women and young girls scared of being open about
their plans for abortion and lead them to opting for risky operations.
Jana Debrecienova from the Citizen and Democracy Foundation
in Bratislava told IPS: "This legislation puts obstacles in the path of
women having an abortion which could lead them to having either dangerous
underground abortions or going ahead with risky pregnancies.
"The law says that women must be given counselling on
the risks of abortion as well as ‘alternatives’ such as anonymous birth and
adoption. But that counselling will be biased and will include non-medical
advice. Part of it will see doctors giving women contacts to NGOs dealing with
abortion issues, and these must by law include religious groups. This breaks
constitutional law on the separation of state and religion.
Zampas from the Centre for Reproductive Rights told IPS:
"The passage in the law on adolescents and informed consent is very
troubling. It raises questions of the legal rights of adolescents and women to
medical confidentiality."
Debrecienova added: "The law creates a number of
barriers to women’s right to freely decide on abortion and limit women’s access
to this health care service. It conflicts with the Slovak Constitution,
international agreements Slovakia has signed, and the recommendations of the
WHO."
The controversial law comes as women’s rights groups warn
that a combination of a societal shift to the right on the back of worsening
economic conditions and the historical strong influence of the Catholic Church
in some of the former eastern bloc states has seen a rise in strength and
support for pro-life organisations in the region.
"Part of the reason behind this move is the strength of
the Catholic Church in Slovakia. In other countries in Eastern Europe where the
Catholic Church is strong, pro-life groups have been gaining strength as
well," Zampas told IPS.
Under communism women’s access to abortion in many eastern
bloc countries was relatively free. Some of the current abortion legislation in
states in the region dates back to the communist regimes.
In staunchly Catholic neighbouring Poland the abortion laws
are among the most restrictive in the world. The procedure is only allowed in
the event of rape, incest or if the mother’s health is at risk.
"Politicians do almost nothing to deal with long-term
problems faced by women like public and private discrimination or violence
against them. So it is absurd that they are forcing something on us which is
supposed to be good for us despite the fact that we do not think it is,"
Debrecienova told IPS.
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