There have been changes to the abortion law introduced by the Armenian Government without any consultation with civil society, medical or women’s groups. Abortion remains accessible until the 12th week but Article 10 of the Law on Reproductive Health and Rights was amended to ban sex-selective abortion after the first trimester. A mandatory three-day waiting period was also added supposedly to allow gynaecologists time to provide counselling, which was made mandatory.
According to someone in the Armenian Ministry of Health, the Ministry aims to make it more difficult for women to have an abortions through imposing this delay. Yet the Ministry claims these amendments do not question the right and access to legal abortion. In a statement on these changes, the Women’s Resource Center explains why they are restrictive in intent and practice.