The Japan Times - Abortion rights: US out of step with trend to ease access

There in 2022 the conservative-dominated US Supreme Court overturned the landmark 1973 "Roe v Wade" decision that has enshrined a woman's right to a termination for half a century. The court ruled that individual states can permit or restrict the procedure themselves.

Further south, in Argentina, the issue is a hot topic in the upcoming presidential vote. The right-wing frontrunner Javier Milei is pledging he would ban abortion if elected, three years after a landmark law allowed terminations.

These contrasting cases highlight the divided approach to abortion around the world:

- Easing access -

Over the past 25 years, more than 50 countries have changed their laws to facilitate access to abortion.

One of the most emblematic recent changes was in 2018 when Ireland, a longtime bastion of Catholicism, legalised abortion following a referendum that overturned a constitutional ban.

The following year saw liberalisation in Northern Ireland, the only part of the United Kingdom still holding out.

Latin America has also seen a lot of movement on the issue in recent years.

Colombia in 2022 legalised abortion up to the 24th week of pregnancy.

In 2020, Argentina's parliament voted to allow women to terminate pregnancies in the first 14 weeks, thus becoming the largest South American country to allow abortions.

Neighbouring Chile in 2017 ended a three-decade blanket ban on the procedure to allow terminations in the event of rape, or if the life of the mother or baby is at risk.

- Clamping down -

Since the change in the US in 2022, more than 20 of its 50 states have either banned abortion or sharply limited it.

The decision in the US caused shockwaves around the world, making it one of the few countries to buck the global trend towards expanding abortion rights.

In 2020, Poland's constitutional court sparked protests after ruling against abortion in cases where the foetus is malformed.

Abortion in the staunchly Catholic country is only permitted in cases of rape, incest or if the mother's life is in danger.

El Salvador and Nicaragua are the only other countries to roll back abortion rights, according to the New York-based Center for Reproductive Rights, adopting total bans on abortion in 1997 and 2006 respectively.

In total, 22 countries ban abortions in all circumstances.

Honduras in 2021 hardened its total ban by writing it into its constitution.

K.Abe--JT