Bill legalising abortion passed in Pope’s native Argentina

Activists watch the Senate vote unfold in Argentina (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)

Argentina’s Senate has passed a law legalising abortion in Pope Francis’ homeland after a marathon 12-hour session, in a victory for the women’s movement that has been fighting for the right for decades.

The vote means that abortion will be legalised up to the 14th week of pregnancy, and also will be legal after that time in cases of rape or danger to the mother’s life. It will have repercussions across a continent where the procedure is largely illegal.