Abortion Debates in Germany

Abstract

Abortion law reform was a mobilizing issue for the women's movement actors in Germany. Despite their activism, abortion debates returned again and again to the goal of protecting unborn fetal life. Thus, despite two reforms that decriminalize abortion in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, the women's movement has not been successful in gaining its demands. Their primary adversary is the Constitutional Court, which has required that the law put the rights of the foetus first. Today, abortions are criminalized but not prosecuted if the woman gets extensive mandatory pro‐birth counselling. Women's policy agencies were active in the 1990s, but largely symbolic with respect to movement goals on the abortion issue.

The Affordable Care Act and abortion

“…In the first case, the reunification of Germany required the conciliation of West and East German abortion laws. 108,109 Spain’s abortion law was liberalized in 2010 by the then socialist government. Abortion was allowed without restriction (except that minors were supposed to tell one parent) up to the fourteenth week of pregnancy.…”