Churches Vow to Fight Against Abortion Laws

The churches have taken a hardball position on the recently revived discussion surrounding the legalization and liberalization of abortion laws in Belize, following a recent push by the Belize Family Life Association.

Church Senator Luis Wade has gone on record to say that the churches will oppose any such move, since the current legislation in place is adequate as it stands. Wade said the churches will be keeping a watchful eye on any developments and suggested that the country and organizations within it should be more focused on assisting families and young mothers by strengthening and expanding community programs that they can access.

Pastor Wade said that the decriminalization of abortion in Belize would only allow for the “killing of Belizean babies” and argued that Belize should instead be looking at ways to increase fertility, since data has shown that its fertility rate has been on the decline for several years. Wade also took a religious position on the debate, saying that a mother simply cannot choose to kill her unborn child, which is a gift from God.

For context, under the Criminal Code Act, abortion is illegal in certain instances. It states that any mother who willfully causes the death of her child under 12 months, or any person who intentionally and unlawfully causes an abortion or miscarriage, shall be liable to imprisonment for 14 years.

The law also states that any woman who is convicted of procuring her own miscarriage through any substance or instrument is liable upon conviction to life imprisonment, while anyone who provides any instrument is guilty of a misdemeanor.

Under those same laws, a pregnancy can only be terminated by a registered medical practitioner under specific circumstances. These include cases in which the unborn child threatens the life of the mother or could cause injury to the physical or mental health of the mother. An abortion can also be carried out if the medical practitioner can establish a substantial risk that, if the child is born, it could suffer from physical or mental abnormalities that would cause it to be seriously handicapped.

The debate started on social media platforms earlier this week after Belize Family Life Association Executive Director Joan Burke gave a public interview calling for the decriminalization of abortion. Burke argued that it is time for Belize to amend its abortion laws, which she said would promote safety among pregnant women who would no longer have to seek illegal and dangerous means to end an unwanted pregnancy. Burke dubbed it a “public health issue” and said she hopes to get support from the Attorney General’s Ministry as well as the Ministry of Health to move forward.

“We need to ensure that there are proper data and a healthcare delivery system that accommodates the service for women within the context of their rights and then also to make sure that we removed these restrictive laws,” said Burke.

Additionally, Burke claimed that Belize currently has the third-highest adolescent pregnancy rate in the entire region. She said that in countries where abortion is legal, such as Barbados and Guyana, evidence has shown that there is a significantly lower abortion rate.

The debate online has ranged between those who support abortion and those who are against it. Some have pointed out that abortion should only be permitted in cases of rape and incest, while others have argued that women have the right to choose what to do with their bodies.

Others in opposition have said that killing a fetus is morally wrong and that women should be held accountable for their actions.

Others are calling for better access to contraceptives, comprehensive sex education, protection from sexual abuse, support for women facing difficult pregnancies, access to qualified medical care, confidentiality and special protection for minors.

While there are several sides to the debate, data from the Belize Crime Observatory shows that from January to March 2026, there were 10 cases of unlawful sexual intercourse, while reported cases of rape stood at nine. Data on how many of those cases resulted in unwanted pregnancies, however, remains unknown. We can confirm, however, that at least one of those cases of unlawful sexual intercourse resulted in a 16-year-old girl becoming pregnant by her stepfather.