Abstract The case of El Salvador provides unique evidence of how solidarity is possible among different social movements in struggles over abortion law reform and its impact, even in contexts of extreme criminalization. The paper depicts a concrete example of how networks centered on abortion struggles can go beyond feminist movements and national borders, and shows the domestic impact of broadening the scope of the audience, the actors involved, and the spheres where abortion law discussions take place. The article focuses on the evolution of socio-legal mobilization regarding abortion in El Salvador over the last two decades. This evolution is presented through three moments: the first centers on the legal actions that feminist movements orchestrated in the mid-2000's around the Beatriz case. The second moment focuses on the most outstanding features of the “Las 17” campaign – a collaborative and international experience that entailed the submission of seventeen pardon petitions on behalf of women who had been convicted of homicide after having miscarriages. Finally, a third moment entails the socio-legal strategies embraced by feminist movements since 2018 within the framework of the campaign named “Las 17+”.
Abstract
Access to safe abortion is essential to satisfy women’s need for healthcare and control over their life choices. Modern regulation of abortion appears to be female friendly because it abandons the old oppressive appearance and wears a liberal face. By examining the images of “glorious mothers” and “rational women” constructed by the Chinese and English regulatory models of abortion through a feminist lens, this Article aims to offer a more critical response to the two jurisdictions. Furthermore, by comparing the two models of abortion law, the Article provides feminists and reformers with a chance to learn about each other’s experiences and different regulatory strategies. As a result, they will be able to view the merits and shortcomings of their national abortion law from a fresh angle. Finally, this comparative study offers a basis for feasible law reform proposals that would empower women in decision making concerning abortion.
AbstractThis essay uses Predictor, the first home pregnancy test, to reexamine the doctor-patient relationship in Britain in the 1960s and 1970s, a tumultuous period associated with permissiveness, women's liberation, and the erosion of medical authority. It shows how the rise of self-testing contributed to a realignment of the power dynamics among women, doctors, and pharmacists. It argues that the humble home pregnancy test kit merits a place—alongside the birth control pill and abortion law reform—in histories of health consumerism and reproductive choice in the twentieth century.
Making abortion law reform work: Steps and slips in Guyana
