The committee for the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has called on Timor-Leste to legalize abortion.
Director of the Movement of Women (MOFFE) organization Yasinta Lujina said Timor-Leste needed to modify the penal code law in article 141 which refers to abortion.
“Article 141 states abortion is a crime and we agree with it as it is against the human rights, but there should be an exception, particularly in [cases of] incest and sexual violation,” she said at her office in Farol, Dili.
She said the government should give consideration to making the change to allow victims to make their own decision about unintended pregnancies as a result of sexual violence.
She added that the government, as well as religious and traditional elders, needed to work together to find a solution for problems occurring across the country, particularly cases of unsafe abortion, infanticide and the dumping a babies in the rubbish.
She said women’s advocacy groups were continuing to urge the government to consider this issue and give victims the choice.
Currently the only exception contained in the penal code article 141 is if the pregnancy could endanger the mother’s health. In this case the procedure must be recommended and signed off by three doctors.
Meanwhile, member of the the Timor-Leste Parliamentary Women’s Group (GMPTL) MP Josefa Alvares Pereira Soares said she disagreed with making any changes to the abortion laws in Timor-Leste as it went against the rights of the child.
She said Timor-Leste had its own culture and traditions and that abortion should not be allowed under any circumstances.
Soares said while the government respected the recommendation made, it had to make its own decision based on the situation and values of Timor-Leste.
In the second legislature, there were many recommendations from women’s groups for the revision of article 141, but these were not implemented as parliament said abortion was against the rights of the people.
Meanwhile, President of Commission F (responsible for health, education, culture, veteran affairs and gender equality) MP Virgilio da Costa Hornai said abortion was against Timorese culture and religious doctrine.
“It is important for us to give advice to the victims [of sexual violence] to accept the reality and not to think of having an abortion,” he said.
While he acknowledged that incest affected the future of the victims, including women and children, he did not support abortion for unintended pregnancies.
“It (abortion) is not the solution because the baby is innocent,” he said.
