Kerala - Kochi   

Feminists welcome Centre’s decision

KOCHI: Feminists in the State have wholeheartedly supported the Central government move to amend the Medical Termination of Pregnancy Act 1971 to increase the length of terminable pregnancy from 20 months to 24 months. They say the amendment would add to women’s empowerment.

Feminist groups world over view abortion as a woman’s right. “It’s up to a woman to decide what to do with her body,” a feminist activist, who is also a medical doctor told The Hindu. “If a woman decides that she does not want to continue her pregnancy, why should others object?” She noted that the amendment would help a large number of teenagers and illiterate women as well as married women who have no knowledge of, or access to, contraceptives. She noted that the increase in the terminable pregnancy period would be a boon to unwed teenagers who tend to conceal their pregnancies for several months.

“The Indian Medical Association welcomes the amendment,” said Dr. R. Ramesh, secretary of the Kerala branch of the IMA. He said that the medical fraternity, especially gynaecologists and obstetricians, supported the move as it was in line with the trend around the world.

The MTP Act, which was an important weapon in the family planning movement in India, allows a trained registered medical practitioner to terminate a pregnancy “where the length of pregnancy does not exceed 12 weeks.” Between 12 and 20 weeks, termination is allowed “if not less than two registered medical practitioner are, of opinion, formed in good faith, that (i) the continuance of the pregnancy would involve a risk to the life of the pregnant woman or of grave injury to her physical or mental health; or (ii) there is a substantial risk that if the child were born, it would suffer from such physical or mental abnormalities to be seriously handicapped.”

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