Just this month the Armenian Government introduced several changes in the law on abortion without any consultations with civil society and other medical or women’s groups. Abortion remains accessible until the 12th week yet a separate provision is added to the Article 10 of the Law on Reproductive Health and Rights, which bans sex-selective abortion from 12th to 22nd week of pregnancy. A mandatory 3 day waiting period had been added in the same Article. During this time a gynecologists will provide the woman with information on abortion.
The approach of the Armenian Ministry of Health is quite worrying as one of its representatives confidently stated that the Ministry aims to prevent women from performng abortions with the use of this new 3 day waiting period. At the same time the Ministry claims that these new legal changes will not question the right and access to legal abortion.
The Women’s Resource Center published a statement on the issue, it is available here.
Changes in the law accepted on 29.06.2016, in Armenian, can be found under this link.
Source: Women’s Rights Center, Women’s Resource Center, Society Without Violence
