Editorial photo #2322439 Unrest, Conflicts and War

Protest against Pec of abortion in São Paulo

Protesters gather in the open space of Masp, on Avenida Paulista, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during a protest against the Proposed Amendment to the Constitution (PEC) 181/2015, on 13 November 2017. The special committee of the Chamber of Deputies created to discuss the extension of maternity leave for the cases of mothers of preterm infants has approved, by 18 votes to 1, the text presented by the rapporteur, Jorge Tadeu Mudalen (DEM-SP), for proposals for Constitutional Amendment (PEC) 181/2015 and 58/2011 that deal with the topic. The rapporteur's opinion included in the final text the controversial concept of protection of life from conception. The Proposed Constitutional Amendment (PEC) 181/15 extension of maternity leave has passed through the Senate and, since the beginning of this year, has been debated in the Chamber. Although the PEC was easily approved by the Senators and the House Committee on Constitution, Justice and Citizenship (CCJ), the change made by the rapporteur made the proposal stand up to resistance when it reached the stage of discussion in the special commission, the last planned stage of analysis of constitutional changes before the plenary vote. (Photo by Fabio Vieira/FotoRua/NurPhoto)