New Zealand Takes First Step to Legalize Abortion

Abortion is currently a crime in New Zealand unless the pregnancy presents a danger to the pregnant person’s life, mental or physical health, or if the fetus is unviable or will be handicapped. But current legislators are hoping to change the current restrictive abortion laws by introducing a bill that would decriminalize abortion.

According to the New York Times:

The government’s proposal would eliminate those requirements for women who are up to 20 weeks pregnant and remove abortion from a 1960s Crimes Act. Women who are more than 20 weeks pregnant would legally be able to have an abortion if a doctor approved it.

Passing this law would start to treat abortion as a health issue and provide care and support for the thousands of New Zealanders who seek abortions every year. Although abortion in New Zealand is illegal, the procedure is relatively easy to procure, decriminalizing abortion will increase access specifically for pregnant people not living near major cities.

As the United States continues to pass strict anti-choice pills “with the intention to reshape women's access to the procedure,” the news from New Zealand is welcomed. Women Help Women will remain a resource for New Zealand and beyond. For more information on how to obtain abortion pills online visit us.