Benin’s parliament has voted to legalize abortion, which had previously been permitted under stringent conditions in the West African country.
Women can abort a pregnancy within the first three months if it is likely to “aggravate or inflict material, educational, professional, or moral anguish, incompatible with the woman’s or the unborn child’s interest," according to a new law passed late Wednesday.
Abortion was previously legal if the pregnancy “threatened the mother’s life," was “the product of rape or incest," or “the unborn child has a particularly severe attachment."
The amendment was finally enacted after a tense debate in parliament, with some legislators adamantly opposed to further legalizing abortion.
“In Benin, nearly 200 women die each year as the result of abortion complications,” said the health minister, Benjamin Hounkpatin, in a statement Thursday.
“This measure will be a relief for many women who face undesired pregnancies, and are forced to put their lives in danger with botched abortions,” he added.
In a statement, Benin’s important Episcopal Conference said it was “very worried with the proposed bill to legalize abortions."
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