Debates on the beginning of life and legal regulations to personhood: A feminist approach
Date
2024-03-20
Authors
Amoroso Gonçalves, Tamara
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Abstract
Highly organized conservative groups have been pushing for stricter abortion laws all over the world. After the overturn of Roe vs. Wade in USA, women, feminists and health care professionals all over the world are worried about backlash in their own jurisdictions. In this scenario, while France has just changed its Constitution to include the right to legal abortions as a fundamental right; legal and feminist scholars have been debating when life starts and when legal protection from personhood starts. By discussing the case of Brazil, and taking a feminist and human rights approach, I will present how law regulates the multiple stages of life, and why such differences matter for preserving women’s access to sexual and reproductive rights. Building on previous research on this topic and from a socio-legal perspective, I will discuss challenges to legalizing abortion in Brazil; as well as lessons emerging from Brazil and other Latin American Countries in blocking conservative changes at the legal and constitutional level to protect women’s rights.
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abortion laws, beginning of life, legal personhood, sexual and reproductive rights, Brazil, legal debates