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Witness History

Romania's Abortion Ban

Witness History

BBC

Personal Journals, Society & Culture, History

4.51.6K Ratings

🗓️ 23 October 2017

⏱️ 10 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceausescu made abortion illegal in October 1966 - but many women still tried to end their pregnancies, by sometimes desperate means.

Sorina Voiculescu was one of the millions of Romanian women who had an illegal abortion under the ban.

(Photo shows: A pregnant woman. Photo credit: PA)

Transcript

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1:05.8

Hi and thanks for downloading Witness, the History Podcast from the BBC World Service.

1:10.9

I'm Lucy Burns and today I'm taking you back to Communist Romania in October

1:15.9

1966 when dictator Nikolai Chausescu announced a ban on abortion which would

1:22.4

have enormous repercussions for women across the country.

1:26.0

Decree number 770 of October 1, 1966 to regulate the interruption of pregnancy.

1:35.0

Considering that an abortion is an act with serious consequences for women's health

...

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