Feminists For Choice

In an attempt at appeasing the Basque Nationalist Party, the Spanish government has moved to amend its proposed abortion bill to include parental notification requirements. The Associated Press reports,

The Spanish government will amend its proposed abortion bill to oblige girls aged 16 and 17 to inform one of their parents if they want to end their pregnancy.
The proposed amendment was aimed at winning the support of the Basque Nationalist Party, who said Thursday it will now support the legislation.

The new law proposes unrestricted abortion up to the fourteenth week of pregnancy. But a clause that would allow teens to have an abortion without parental consent had roused much opposition.

Governing Socialist party member Carmen Monton hailed the agreement, saying the most important thing was that the woman have the final say.
The bill is supported by several parties but the votes of the six Basque deputies guarantees passage in parliament.

Of course I’m ecstatic that the Spanish government is pushing through legislation to limit restrictions on abortion access up to 14 weeks of pregnancy, however, I can’t help but be completely repulsed by the utter lack of concern for young women’s health. In an effort to compromise with anti-choice lawmakers in Spain, the government is willing to radically undermine the safety and autonomy of young women.

Parental notification laws are often paraded as a necessary pre-requisite to healthy family communication. Those of us on planet earth, however, know exactly what parental notification laws can do to a young woman struggling to make a decision about her pregnancy. If a young woman opts not to tell her parents about her pregnancy, or her choice to have an abortion, chances are — she has a damn good reason for it.

In the end, I’m not too sure how progressive new abortion legislation is if it includes parental notification laws that put young women’s lives at risk.