Editor's Note: We offer the following introduction, with a graphic, depicting political particpation of women in Latin American politics as context for Karla Jacob's excellent report on the Nicaraguan population's views on total abortion.

- Les Blough in Venezuela

"When it comes to political participation, women have climbed up the ladder in Latin America. As the UN Commission on the Status of Women meets in New York this week to mark the fifteenth anniversary of an action plan to boost female political participation, a number of Latin American countries rank among the highest in the world when it comes to women’s representation in legislatures. In fact, a recent Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) report found that Latin America and Europe are the only two regions to surpass the world average." - Michal Toiba, March 8, 2010 This graphic is based on 2007 data.

By Karla Jacobs
Tortilla con Sal
Nicaragua

Original publication on Tortilla con Sal - February 10, 2011

Those who are better informed about the subject and those who know someone that has had an abortion are more likely to approve legalization

The results of a recent study titled “Study of Public Opinion about Abortion in Brazil, Chile, Mexico and Nicaragua,” carried out by the Program of Social Inclusion and Gender at the Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences in Chile (FLACSO-Chile), suggest that the populations of all four countries are in favour of more flexibile abortion legislation in their respective countries.

As part of the study 1,200 men and women, inhabitants of urban and rural areas, were interviewed by FLACSO professionals in each country between March and April 2009. The results of the study were published last month but, in Nicaragua at least, have recieved little coverage in the media.

According to the authors of the study, the main conclusions that can be drawn from the study are two-fold: Firstly that “the traditional polarization of the ideological debate about abortion between “pro life” and “pro choice” stances is not representative of majority attitude in the studied countries. In actual fact, the existence of a third stance favouring legalization of abortion under certain pregnancy related circumstances is apparent:”

And secondly that majority public opinion in the studied countries supports the introduction of more flexible legislation concerning abortion as well as much greater citizen participation in the decision making processes surrounding public policy on abortion.

Abortion law in Latin America today

Before reviewing the results of the FLACSO study, it is worthwhile taking a look at the information contained within the following table which outlines the pregnancy related circumstances under which abortion is legal and illegal in different Latin American countries:

As can be appreciated in the above table abortion is illegal under all circumstances, even when the woman's life is at risk as a result of her pregnancy, in three Latin American countries: Chile, El Salvador and Nicaragua. Meanwhile, abortion is legally available to all women who request it in just one Latin American country: Cuba.

Nicaraguan population least likely to support legalization under given circumstances

For those interested in women's rights issues in Nicaragua, it is interesting to note that when asked as part of the FLACSO study under which pregnancy related circumstances they thought abortion should be legal Nicaraguan participants were significantly more conservative in their answers than their Brazilian, Chilean and Mexican counterparts. The only two scenarios in which majority support for the legalization of abortion was voiced by Nicaraguan participants were when the mother's life is at risk (61.6% support legalization) and when the fetus presents malformation (57.2% support legalization).

Under which circumstances do you think abortion should be legal? (%)

	When the woman's life is at risk	When the pregnancy is a result of rape	When the pregnancy is a result of incest	When the fetus presents malformation	When the woman is mentally ill	For any reason the woman decides on
Nicaragua	61.6	30.5	22.9	57.2	30.7	7.2
Brazil	69.2	68.2	52.8	59.9	43.3	10
Chile	64.4	66.7	58	64	39.8	15
Mexico	69.3	60.1	46.8	64.4	52.3	20

Population wants to see greater flexibility in abortion law

One of the most conlusive indicators to come out of the FLACSO study is the generalized feeling in all four countries that the population would like to see greater flexibility in abortion legislation.

As part of the study participants were asked about their perception of how strict the abortion law is in their respective countries by rating the national legislation on a scale of 1 to 10 where 1 represents legislation that outlaws abortion under all circumstances and 10 represents legislation that permits abortion on demand. Participants were then asked where, on the same scale, they would like the national legislation concerning abortion to be. As can be observed in the followng table, the populations of the four countries coincide in their desire for more lenient abortion legislation:

It is telling that in Nicaragua's case the population rated the national legislation concerning abortion as high as 3.17 given that, in actual fact, abortion under all circumstances is illegal in the country. This suggests the general population is largely uninformed about the current abortion law, something which is backed up by further results from the FLACSO study.

Vast majority know little or nothing about abortion law, though many have second hand experience of clandestine abortions

Of great significance are the results regarding public awareness of abortion law. It could be considered a damning indictment for the state of citizen participation in the political systems of the four countries that, on average, 86.7% said they know little or nothing about the the abortion law in their countries.

Additionally the FLACSO study found that abortion legislation is not a subject the general population tends to discuss: 87% of the population in the four countries said they had never discussed legislation surrounding abortion with friends and family.

A significant percentage of the population, however, say they know someone who has had a clandestine abortion. In Nicaragua 45% say someone they know has carried out a clandestine abortion while the figures for Brazil, Chile and Mexico were 52%, 34% and 38% respectively.

According to the authors of the report the combination of “these figures were important when analyzing the results given that those who are better informed about the subject and those who know someone that has had an abortion are more likely to approve the legalization of abortion than those” who are less well informed and / or have had no second hand experience with abortion.

Population wants to be involved in decisions regarding abortion law

Another conclusive finding of the study is the overwhelming desire among the populations of the four Latin American countries both for the current legislation to be revised and for much greater citizen participation in the decision making processes concerning abortion legislation.

When asked whether they thought their country's abortion law should be revised 94.2% of Nicaraguan participants said yes, while the same figures for Brazil, Chile and Mexico were 87.8%, 94.4% and 82.8% respectively. Here it is significant to note that the highest percentages of affirmative answers (94.2% and 94.4%) were given by participants in Nicaragua and Chile where abortion is outlawed under all circumstances.

When asked whether they thought the abortion law should a) be revised during a referendum, b) be revised by the National Assembly or Congress or c) not be revised 72% of Nicaraguan participants said they would like the law to be revised as part of a referendum. The same answer was given by 72% of Brazilians, 61.1% of Chileans and 57.7% of Mexicans.

FLACSO study within context of strategy to overturn therapeutic abortion ban in Nicaragua

Unlike previous opinion polls carried out by commercial polling companies have suggested, the results of the FLACSO study suggest the Nicaraguan population does not support the therapeutic abortion ban currently in force in the country.

The study also has the effect of confirming, as many analysts and women's rights activists have indicated in the past, that what many sectors have interpreted as public support for the total abortion ban is based on widespread ignorance among the population of both the subject of abortion itself and the implications of the therapeutic abortion ban.

While it would be unwise for women's rights campaigners in Nicaragua to encourage public debate about the total abortion ban during the upcoming presidential electoral campaign (it was the Catholic Church hierarchy's imposition of the subject of abortion on the national agenda during the country's last presidential campaign that led to the current therapeutic abortion ban being brought into force), the results of the FLACSO study should be analized in depth as part of the ongoing strategy to overturn the regressive abortion legislation which was approved by the vast majority of Nicaraguan deputies in October 2006.

Source: Tortilla con Sal