Brazilian women march against a bill that tightens the ban on abortion By Reuters
(Corrects a typo in the title)
SAO PAULO (Reuters) – Thousands of women protested on Saturday against a bill advancing in Brazil’s conservative Congress that would equate abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy with capital punishment and impose prison sentences of six to 20 years.
Protesters marched along Sao Paulo’s main street, Paulista Avenue, carrying placards rejecting the proposal, which they called the most repressive approach to women’s rights in decades.
People of all ages, including retirees and children, lined the streets chanting, “A child is not a father, a rapist is not a father.”
Abortion is allowed in Brazil only in cases of rape, deterioration of the fetus or when the mother’s life is in danger. If a bill backed by evangelical lawmakers becomes law, abortions for rape victims will be considered murder after 22 weeks of pregnancy.
Women’s rights groups have criticized the proposed law for imposing harsher penalties than those given to rapists in Brazil.
They also said that the changes will have a major impact on children who are abused by family members. Such children, who often lack the understanding or support to see themselves as victims of crime, often find their pregnancies late.
Leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called the bill “insane” and said his government would protect existing laws that punish rapists and treat their victims with respect.
“It is crazy to want to punish a woman with a greater punishment than a rapist,” said Lula at a press conference at the Group of Seven (G7) conference in Italy.
Protests erupted Thursday in Brazil’s major cities after a congressional subcommittee voted to fast-track the bill for approval, limiting debate on the proposal.
Facing criticism that rape victims seeking abortions may face harsher punishments than rapists, the bill’s author, Sostenes Cavalcante, said he would raise tougher penalties for rape, currently up to 10 years in prison.
Cavalcante is an evangelical minister and a member of former President Jair Bolsonaro’s party.
Outrage on social media may delay the bill’s progress, as Speaker Arthur Lira does not plan to put it to a vote anytime soon and expects the text to be changed, a source in his office said.
Passage is less certain in the upper chamber where right-wing senators have less power, and Senate president Rodrigo Pacheco said the bill must be discussed in committees.
First Lady Rosangela da Silva criticized the bill and said on social media: “Congress must work to ensure the availability of legal and safe abortions through the national health system SUS.”
Brazil’s restrictive abortion laws mean that many Brazilian women who want to end a pregnancy turn to unsafe abortions and botched procedures, causing dozens of deaths every year.
(This story has been reposted to correct an error in the title)
