Reproductive rights: debates and disputes about the right to abortion within the context of re-democratization of Brazil

Abstract

The process of redemocratization of Brazil, after twenty years of a military regime (1964-1984), brought within it several rights which had never been recognized, defended by new social movements based on identity issues (gender, ethnic, social class, etc.). Manifestations (for and against) the recognition of the right to abortion as a dimension of the reproductive rights cross institutional spaces, such as the Legislative, Executive and Judicial powers, and mobilize different sectors of the civil society (besides churches), which have been playing a fundamental role in this process. This article presents some elements of this debate, aiming to affirm the reproductive rights as human rights.