The Conversation: The unspeakable cruelty of El Salvador’s abortion laws
Lisa Kowalchuk, associate professor at the University of Guelph

“…In El Salvador, the clock is ticking towards a May 1, 2018, deadline for reform that would decriminalize abortion in two situations: When the life of the pregnant woman is in danger and when an underage girl (but not an adult woman) becomes pregnant through rape. … As an admirer of this government’s goals and achievements in health care, I am struck by a contradiction: It has made genuine efforts to reduce maternal mortality but during most of its nine years in office, it has failed to challenge a law that may actually increase it. … [W]hatever legislators decide in the coming days, a broad social movement for fundamental justice on this issue has created momentum for change that will not likely subside” (4/11).