Mexico's Supreme Court has ruled to decriminalize abortion nationwide and gives local authorities the power to allow the procedure on a state-by-state basis.

The court's decision struck down the nation's federal penal code that made abortion illegal, saying it was "unconstitutional." The ruling made the procedure legally accessible in all federal health institutions across Mexico.

Mexico Supreme Court Decriminalizes Abortion Nationwide

The Supreme Court's latest ruling comes as Mexico is a predominantly Catholic country home to 130 million people. It points to how countries in Latin America are slowly taking a leading role in broadening abortion rights.

In a statement, the executive director of the leading abortion rights group, the Information Group for Chosen Reproduction (GIRE), Rebeca Ramos, said she was very moved and proud following the Supreme Court's ruling. Her group is known for filing an injunction last year against the Mexican regulation from 1931 that made abortion illegal.

Ramos argued that the latest development makes possible what they have not achieved in many years: to allow the legal and safe provision of abortion services in certain institutions across the country, as per the New York Times.

In 2021, the Mexican Supreme Court first ruled that criminalizing the procedure was unconstitutional, but at the time, it only applied to Coahuila, which borders Texas. Other states in the country have already eliminated criminal penalties for abortion, the latest of which was Aguascalientes being the latest to make such a decision last week.

The recent ruling also has no impact on local laws, which means that abortion would remain illegal in 20 states out of the country's 32. However, even in those areas, women can now legally seek abortions in federal hospitals and clinics.

The Supreme Court's decision also prohibits employees at these facilities from being penalized for carrying out abortion services. The founder of the feminist group Las Libres in Guanajuato, Mexico, Veronica Cruz, said that she hoped the ruling would be the preamble for the court to help local legislatures eliminate the crime of abortion.

Read Also: Hong Kong Court Calls for More Legal Protections for Same-Sex Unions

Historic Ruling

In a social media post, Mexico's National Institute for Women wrote that the day was a day of victory and justice for women. The government organization added that the Supreme Court's ruling is a "big step" toward gender equality, according to the Associated Press.

A former Supreme Court justice, Sen. Olga Sanchez Cordero, applauded the court's latest ruling, saying on X, formerly known as Twitter, that it represents an advance toward a more just society.

However, some decried the Supreme Court's latest decision, including the director of the Civil Association for the Rights of the Conceived, Irma Barrientos. She said that opponents will continue to fight against expanding abortion access in Mexico.

Barrientos cited 40 years ago in the United States when the US Supreme Court reversed its abortion decision. She said they will not stop until Mexico guarantees the right to life from conception.

Various social media users posted online with green hearts representing the so-called Green Wave. According to CNN, this social movement focuses on reproductive rights and is known for sweeping Latin America since the start of this century.

Related Article: French School Abaya Ban Sparks Debate Over Religious Freedom