Beloved Canadian writer Margaret Atwood has expressed her support for the ongoing campaign in Argentina to decriminalise elective abortion, with a personal message for Vice-President Gabriela Michetti.
“Vicepresident of Argentina @gabimichetti: don’t look away from the thousands of deaths every year from ilegal abortions. Give argentinian women the right to choose!”, Atwood wrote on Twitter, citing the hashtags of the #NiUnaMenos movement and those in favour of abortion like #AbortoLegalYa #QueElAbortoSeaLey and #AbortoEnSenadoYa.
In an earlier tweet, she wrote: “Right now, women in #Argentina are fighting for their rights and lives... If #irelandreferendum can do it so can Argentina”.
Atwood, who wrote the acclaimed The Handmaid’s Tale, addressed Michetti following accusations last week the vice-president — who also serves as the Speaker of the Upper House — was trying to hinder a vote in the Senate on the bill to decriminalise elective abortion up to the 14th week of pregnancy.
“There is no way to delay it [the vote] because the four committees will work simultaneously”, Michetti, a staunch Catholic and abortion opponent, told state-run news agency Télam.
Her comments followed Peronist Senator Miguel Ángel Pichetto’s accusations that Michetti was “hindering the vote” by sending the bill to four instead of two committees.
“The transfer [of the bill to four committees] was totally excessive, and the transfer to [the] Budget and Constitutional Affairs [committees] was unnecessary”, Pichetto said.
Abortion activists will gather outside Congress this evening to reaffirm their support for the bill.
-TIMES
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