Author: Marcia Castro

Marcia Castro is Professor of Demography and Chair of the Department of Global Health and Population at Harvard. She was the first Brazilian woman to become a faculty member at the prestigious American university.

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Society Women Worldwide

Brazil’s Draconian Abortion Bill Amounts To Child Abuse Of Underage Girls

June 15, 2024, Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil: People demonstrate in opposition to (Bill 1904/24 equates abortion after 22 weeks of pregnancy to the crime of homicide), supported by the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Arthur Lira. Protesters argue that rape victims who obtain abortions after the 22nd week should not be criminalized, especially with penalties that may be more severe than those imposed on rapists themselves. They also highlight that the reality of abuse against children up to 14 years of age in the country is alarming and that these young people need to be protected, not penalized. (Credit Image: © Wagner Vilas/ZUMA Press Wire)
Protesters dressed as Margaret Atwood's dystopian "Handmaid's Tale" characters during an anti abortion bill rally in Sao Paulo on June 15 Wagner Vilas/ZUMA

Brazil may become the last in a long list of countries to restrict legal access to abortion. However, the consequences here would be devastating for girls aged below 14, who represent more than 60% of victims of rape.

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