Spain to liberalise the country's abortion law

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Under the proposal approved by the cabinet, abortion would be made available on demand for the first time.

Girls as young as 16 would be allowed to terminate a pregnancy without parental consent.

Ministers say it is about "rights and respect" for women. The conservative opposition says young people may see abortion as a form of contraception.

Spain's current law allows a pregnancy to be terminated in three circumstances - in the aftermath of a rape, when a foetus shows genetic defects, and when the health of the pregnant woman is at risk.

The government's proposal is that abortion should be made available on demand during the first 14 weeks of a pregnancy.



Proposed changes to abortion law have angered large parts of Spanish society