Women’s Parliamentary Groups and Abortion: the Speeches of Women Parliamentarians in Brazil’s and Uruguay’s Chambers of Deputies

Abstract

This article examines the positions and arguments of women parliamentarians on the topic of abortion, as expressed in their speeches in the Chambers of Depu-ties in Brazil and Uruguay between 1985 and 2016. The study aims to provide a general overview of the results, exploring the data both integrally, proportionally, and through time series analysis. It also aims to draw insights from the evidence presented. This paper focuses on two main questions: 1) Is it possible to identify a pattern that establishes a relation between the stance of women parliamentarians and increased access to abortion rights? The second question aims at verifying a phenomenon on the rise, with varying degrees, in Latin American countries: 2) What is the stance of women representatives aligned with Christian, Evangelical or Catholic churches, and what is its effect on plenary discussions about abortion?.