Abortion is one of the main issues in the upcoming American presidential election. The Roe v. Wade decision underpinned abortion rights in the United States for five decades.
Donald Trump appointed three conservative justices to the Supreme Court during his presidency, shifting its balance firmly to the right. Consequently, Roe v. Wade was overturned in June 2022.
The decision as to whether abortion is legal or not now rests with individual U.S. states. Some have instituted near total abortion bans with few exceptions. Others permit abortion in line with the old protections of Roe.
Vice President Kamala Harris has made abortion rights center to her campaign. She supports the rights Roe v. Wade gave to women in America. She blames Trump for the Supreme Court decision and its consequences across the country.
Abortion is illegal in The Bahamas. Those who break the law could face up to 10 years in prison.
There is a caveat to the law in section 313 of the Penal Code, however. It states that abortion is permitted for the purposes of necessary medical or surgical treatment of a pregnant woman.
Whereas there is a fierce debate in the U.S. regarding abortion, there is sporadic discussion of it in The Bahamas.
A strange status quo exists here. While abortion is illegal, they still take place secretively with frequency.
Medication abortion is the main form of abortion in the U.S., accounting for 63 percent of the procedures. Some of those with access to abortion pills in The Bahamas provide them to females seeking to terminate pregnancies.
Other pregnant women who have the resources travel to nearby jurisdictions, such as parts of the U.S., where it is permitted, to get the procedure done under full medical supervision.
The problem with the local so-called “providers” of abortion pills or on-site abortions is they are often unqualified people who improperly administer the drugs or procedure, leaving females at risk of serious injuries.
Fear of the pastorsNeither political party has taken on abortion as a main issue to be addressed.
Fear of the religious right in our country is at the heart of the reticence of the parties to reform our laws.
During a debate on the issue in the media last year, the same old views of the churchmen were on display.
The pastors are firmly of the position that nothing needs to change. They think their view, as is enshrined in the current law, should be how it should always be. Some went as far as saying abortion should not even be legal in cases of rape.
The conservative view that life is formed at conception is extreme and should be disregarded.
The question that should be debated is when is the appropriate cut-off point for the procedure. In the Roe v. Wade era in the U.S., some states restricted abortion after six weeks, many between 24 and 26 weeks. Most abortions in England, Wales and Scotland are carried out before 24 weeks.
The Bahamas could take a similar view. It could even be more conservative and limit abortions to between 12 and 16 weeks.
What should be rejected outright is any abortion ban based on the viewpoint of any one religion.
Our secular constitution protects us from the tyranny of religions. All reasonable religions that follow the law should be tolerated, and their adherents free to practice them. However, no religion should be the sole source of the law in a healthy society.
Women must push for their rights
Abortion services are a basic part of female healthcare. Whether or not a woman brings a pregnancy to term should be her decision and her decision alone.
A woman bears a child alone. And, too often in The Bahamas, after birth, she also bears the costs of rearing the child alone.
The views of the pastors should not determine our abortion laws. In The Bahamas, we give too much weight to the conservative views of our religious leaders.
In a secular democracy a pastor’s voice is just one of the many. No special status should be given to it in public debates about the law and fairness.
The Bahamas’ representative on the United Nations’ Committee on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Marion Bethel, has previously said that the decriminalization of abortion is among issues that need to be prioritized.
CEDAW has recommended that The Bahamas address several issues, including abortion and marital rape.
It recommended the decriminalization of abortion in all cases, and the legalization of abortion in cases of rape, incest and severe fetal impairment.
The status quo in The Bahamas on abortion must change. But for it to change women and male supporters of the cause will have to put more pressure on the political class.
This coalition must continue to show that this is an important issue that must be addressed now.
Women’s groups should demand of both political parties that the abortion laws be changed.
Bahamian women should not have to continue to suffer the indignity of backroom abortions in their own country, or having to pay thousands of dollars to fly to the United States for the procedure.
Our women should be free to choose what they want to do with their bodies.
• Brent Dean is a communications consultant. He is a former editor and general manager of The Nassau Guardian. He can be reached at brentdean1980@gmail.com.
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Publish date : 2024-10-04 00:30:00
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