A group of women’s rights activists said Thursday that the era of punishment has come to an end as clauses in the nation’s abortion laws that seek criminal punishment for the procedure will lose legal effect on Friday.

Safe Abortion, comprised of multiple women's organizations, made the remark during a press conference held in front of the National Assembly on Thursday. The group expressed hope that 2021 will be the year when safe medical abortion and women’s reproductive rights are guaranteed.  

In line with the Constitutional Court’s ruling in April of last year that an outright ban on abortion goes against the Constitution, clauses in the Criminal Code and Mother and Child Health Act that stipulate criminal punishment to be applied for abortion will lose effect from 12 a.m. Friday.

In issuing its ruling, the Constitutional Court called for amendments to current abortion laws by the end of this year. In response, the government issued in October an advance notice of revisions that would allow women to have an abortion during the first 14 weeks of pregnancy. 

Because the revisions are still pending in parliament, only the clauses regarding criminal punishment for abortion will lose effect.