US Abortion Case Raises Questions about Other Countries

2022-05-05

00:00 / 00:00
复读宝 RABC v8.0beta 复读机按钮使用说明
播放/暂停
停止
播放时:倒退3秒/复读时:回退AB段
播放时:快进3秒/复读时:前进AB段
拖动:改变速度/点击:恢复正常速度1.0
拖动改变复读暂停时间
点击:复读最近5秒/拖动:改变复读次数
设置A点
设置B点
取消复读并清除AB点
播放一行
停止播放
后退一行
前进一行
复读一行
复读多行
变速复读一行
变速复读多行
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1
  • An abortion case now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court raises questions about how it could influence other countries.
  • 2
  • On Monday an early version, or draft, of a Supreme Court opinion was released without permission.
  • 3
  • The opinion suggested that the high court could overturn the legal case from 1973 that legalized abortion across the country.
  • 4
  • It is not clear what the effects of the decision could be outside the U.S.
  • 5
  • But courts in many parts of the world have been legalizing abortion.
  • 6
  • For example, in February, Colombia's Constitutional Court legalized the operation until the 24th week of pregnancy.
  • 7
  • Women's activists around the world say they are very concerned with the U.S. Supreme Court's draft ruling.
  • 8
  • They say it shows how their gains can be taken back.
  • 9
  • "It is an awful precedent for the coming years for the region and the world," said Colombian Catalina Martínez Coral.
  • 10
  • She is with the Center for Reproductive Rights based in New York City.
  • 11
  • Her group was among the parties that brought the abortion case to Colombia's high court.
  • 12
  • The ruling in February permitted women to have abortions within the 24-week period.
  • 13
  • Before the case, Colombian women could only legally get an abortion in certain cases.
  • 14
  • These included if a fetus presented malformations or if a pregnancy resulted from rape.
  • 15
  • Abortion is still permitted after that period in special cases.
  • 16
  • The decision fell short of advocates' hopes for a complete decriminalization.
  • 17
  • But Martínez Coral said it still left Colombia with the "most progressive legal framework in Latin America."
  • 18
  • Last year, Mexico's high court ruled that it was unconstitutional to punish abortion.
  • 19
  • The ruling bars charging a woman with a crime for ending a pregnancy.
  • 20
  • In Argentina, lawmakers in late 2020 passed a bill legalizing abortion until the 14th week.
  • 21
  • Abortions are legal after that for certain cases.
  • 22
  • Abortion is also widely available in Cuba and Uruguay.
  • 23
  • But expansion of abortion has not extended to all of Latin America.
  • 24
  • In Brazil, abortion is only permissible in cases of rape, risk to the woman's life and proven cases of a kind of birth defect.
  • 25
  • Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador have total bans with no exceptions.
  • 26
  • Many African nations also maintain complete bans.
  • 27
  • But in October 2021, Benin legalized abortion in most cases for up to 12 weeks.
  • 28
  • Before it was legalized, 200 women were dying each year of complications from secret abortions.
  • 29
  • Most European countries have legalized abortion.
  • 30
  • Ireland legalized abortion in 2018. So did the small country of San Marino.
  • 31
  • Abortion remains illegal in Andorra, Malta and Vatican City.
  • 32
  • Poland last year tightened its abortion laws.
  • 33
  • Laws are different across the Muslim world.
  • 34
  • Abortion has been legal up to 12 weeks in Tunisia for many years.
  • 35
  • But in Iran it has been banned since the 1979 Islamic Revolution.
  • 36
  • Last year, one of Islam's top religious leaders in Cairo said abortion is not the answer even in cases where a child is likely to be seriously ill or disabled.
  • 37
  • Agnes Callamard is the secretary-general of the human rights group Amnesty International.
  • 38
  • She said in a statement: "there are grim signs that the United States is out of step with the progress that the rest of the world is making in protecting sexual and reproductive rights."
  • 39
  • The U.S. Supreme Court's final decision is expected to come in late June or July.
  • 40
  • I'm Dan Novak.
  • 1
  • An abortion case now being considered by the U.S. Supreme Court raises questions about how it could influence other countries.
  • 2
  • On Monday an early version, or draft, of a Supreme Court opinion was released without permission. The opinion suggested that the high court could overturn the legal case from 1973 that legalized abortion across the country.
  • 3
  • It is not clear what the effects of the decision could be outside the U.S. But courts in many parts of the world have been legalizing abortion.
  • 4
  • For example, in February, Colombia's Constitutional Court legalized the operation until the 24th week of pregnancy.
  • 5
  • Women's activists around the world say they are very concerned with the U.S. Supreme Court's draft ruling. They say it shows how their gains can be taken back.
  • 6
  • "It is an awful precedent for the coming years for the region and the world," said Colombian Catalina Martínez Coral. She is with the Center for Reproductive Rights based in New York City. Her group was among the parties that brought the abortion case to Colombia's high court.
  • 7
  • The ruling in February permitted women to have abortions within the 24-week period. Before the case, Colombian women could only legally get an abortion in certain cases. These included if a fetus presented malformations or if a pregnancy resulted from rape. Abortion is still permitted after that period in special cases.
  • 8
  • The decision fell short of advocates' hopes for a complete decriminalization. But Martínez Coral said it still left Colombia with the "most progressive legal framework in Latin America."
  • 9
  • Last year, Mexico's high court ruled that it was unconstitutional to punish abortion. The ruling bars charging a woman with a crime for ending a pregnancy.
  • 10
  • In Argentina, lawmakers in late 2020 passed a bill legalizing abortion until the 14th week. Abortions are legal after that for certain cases. Abortion is also widely available in Cuba and Uruguay.
  • 11
  • But expansion of abortion has not extended to all of Latin America. In Brazil, abortion is only permissible in cases of rape, risk to the woman's life and proven cases of a kind of birth defect.
  • 12
  • Honduras, Nicaragua and El Salvador have total bans with no exceptions.
  • 13
  • Many African nations also maintain complete bans. But in October 2021, Benin legalized abortion in most cases for up to 12 weeks. Before it was legalized, 200 women were dying each year of complications from secret abortions.
  • 14
  • Most European countries have legalized abortion. Ireland legalized abortion in 2018. So did the small country of San Marino. Abortion remains illegal in Andorra, Malta and Vatican City. Poland last year tightened its abortion laws.
  • 15
  • Laws are different across the Muslim world.
  • 16
  • Abortion has been legal up to 12 weeks in Tunisia for many years. But in Iran it has been banned since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Last year, one of Islam's top religious leaders in Cairo said abortion is not the answer even in cases where a child is likely to be seriously ill or disabled.
  • 17
  • Agnes Callamard is the secretary-general of the human rights group Amnesty International. She said in a statement: "there are grim signs that the United States is out of step with the progress that the rest of the world is making in protecting sexual and reproductive rights."
  • 18
  • The U.S. Supreme Court's final decision is expected to come in late June or July.
  • 19
  • I'm Dan Novak.
  • 20
  • Dan Novak adapted this story for VOA Learning English based on reporting by The Associated Press.
  • 21
  • ____________________________________________________________________
  • 22
  • Words in This Story
  • 23
  • precedent - n. something done or said that can be used as an example or rule to be followed in the future
  • 24
  • malformation - n. a condition in which part of the body does not have the normal or expected shape
  • 25
  • advocate - n. a person who works for a cause or group
  • 26
  • framework -n. a set of ideas or facts that provide support for something
  • 27
  • grim - adj. causing feelings of sadness or worry