Plan To Raise Fines for Illegal Abortions Withdrawn After Protests

TaiwanPlus News

Taiwan's justice ministry has rescinded a proposal to increase fines for illegal abortions after protests from legislators and women's rights activists.

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00:00Eliminate abortion and give me my right to self-determination.

00:04Legislators and women's rights organizations are at Taipei's legislature

00:07to protest against a proposed increase in fines for illegal abortions.

00:11The Justice Ministry has proposed a change to the criminal code

00:15that would increase fines for illegal abortions from around 100 US dollars

00:19to 2,500 US dollars.

00:21Groups here say there have only been 10 cases related to this criminal law

00:25in the last 10 years,

00:26so they're questioning why fines should be increased now.

00:29So we're very surprised and surprised to hear

00:33that the Justice Ministry is proposing a change to increase fines.

00:37So the Justice Ministry, I really want to ask,

00:39when did you come up with this?

00:42No.

00:43This is a kind of outdated and backward thinking

00:46that we absolutely cannot allow.

00:49Abortions in Taiwan are legal for pregnancies before 24 weeks,

00:52but women who are married have to get permission from a partner.

00:55These are restrictions people here say are harmful to women.

00:59This law may make it easier for this man to use abortion to control his wife.

01:04For example, if a divorced wife doesn't want to have children,

01:08the husband will say,

01:10OK, we have to abide by the principle of non-divorce

01:13before I allow you to abort.

01:15Groups are also arguing that abortion in Taiwan

01:17should be governed by the Genetic Health Act alone,

01:20and not by a criminal law.

01:22Scott Huang and Canice Coronta for Taiwan Plus.

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