Moroccan women press to legalize abortion amid pending bill

It was a small demonstration on a big topic for some Moroccan women trying to make some abortions legal.

Two dozen activists gathered in front of the Muslim kingdom’s parliament on Tuesday to press lawmakers to legalize abortion in extreme cases. A row of naked dolls on the ground symbolized the fate of children born from unintended pregnancies.

One sign read: “My mother is 15 years old. My father is a rapist.”

Morocco has had a law in the making since 2016 that would decriminalize abortions in cases of rape or incest.

Lawmaker Leila Amili said the legislation has “too many points of conflict” for quick passage.

Moroccan women sometimes have illegal abortions done by healers.

A survey by Morocco’s Family Planning Association said 50,000 to 80,000 clandestine abortions are performed annually.

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