Tepic, Nayarit, Mexico – Nayarit has joined the growing list of Mexican states where abortion has been decriminalized. This change follows a decision by the Second Collegiate Court of the Twenty-Fourth Circuit earlier this month, which ruled in favor of allowing women to safely terminate their pregnancies at health centers without facing criminal charges.
The decriminalization was the result of efforts by advocacy groups including Grupo de Información en Reproducción Elegida (GIRE), Redefine Nayarit, and Aquelarre Púrpura. These groups challenged the Nayarit Penal Code, leading to the court’s decision.
The Court argued that criminalizing abortion is an act of violence and discrimination, reducing women to mere objects for procreation. It also stated that criminalizing self-managed abortion infringes on the right to health by restricting access to quality healthcare services, and it is unconstitutional to penalize healthcare providers who perform such procedures.
While the Court has legalized abortion in Nayarit, the state Congress still needs to repeal the unconstitutional articles in the Penal Code. This legislative change is anticipated to occur before the end of the current session, which runs from August 18 to December 30.
With Nayarit’s decriminalization, there are now 16 states in Mexico where women have the legal right to choose whether to continue a pregnancy. These states include CDMX, Oaxaca, Hidalgo, Veracruz, Coahuila, Baja California, Colima, Sinaloa, Guerrero, Baja California Sur, Quintana Roo, Aguascalientes, Jalisco, Chihuahua, Puebla, and now, Nayarit.
This decision represents a significant advancement in reproductive rights in Mexico, adding to the recent decriminalization of abortion in Puebla on July 15. GIRE has celebrated the ruling, marking it as a milestone in the protection of rights for pregnant individuals across the country.