The waters are stirred in the debate on reproductive rights of Latin American women.
For decades, politicians in Latin America knew that they would never pass a law that would have the support of the vast majority on an issue as controversial as the decriminalisation of abortion. Only Cuba and Uruguay advanced on this issue during the 20th century to the point that currently some countries in the region still penalise abortion in cases of rape.
Latin America has not remained oblivious to the feminist wave with two issues at the forefront of the protests; the decriminalisation of abortion and the fight against gender violence. The green scarves have spread beyond the borders of Argentina and became a symbol of the struggle for women’s reproductive rights in many parts of Latin America. Argentina has decriminalised abortion during the first 14 weeks of all types of pregnancy, and progress has been made in Mexico, Chile and Colombia.
But the path to decriminalisation faces resistance from pro-life movements, under the slogan “save two lives” and represented with light blue handkerchiefs. Views are increasingly polarised and there have been additional restrictions in Brazil, Honduras and other Central American countries.
In addition to the pro-life movement, the Catholic Church (indirectly) added its position during the key days of the debate in Argentina.
Latin Hub UK is an independent platform, a group of volunteers with different opinions united by a vocation of service. The premise is to listen and respect all opinions and amplify the voices of those who are working in our community.
Our only enemies are individualism and indifference. That’s why we include different voices below for those who are open to learning and (perhaps) changing their position. At the end of the blog you can also find sources of information for those who want to learn more about the subject.
‘Morally, I have always opposed to the idea of deciding on the lives of others and I never agreed with “It’s my body, I do what I want” mantra. If abortion is the product of carelessness, it is always regrettable. I’m not saying it from a pedestal, I chose to end two pregnancies (…) fortunately I did it in the UK, so I didn’t have to feel worse about walking into a clandestine clinic and putting my life at risk or fearing arrest’ Romina. More here
‘Let’s not forget that there is (…) a man who cannot decide to raise the kid alone and loses the right to be a father. Only women have have this right. I also think women should be properly informed about the possibility of giving their babies up for adoption, where there are couples waiting for years due to a bureaucratic judicial regime.’ Valeria. More here
‘The biological fact is that human life begins at fertilisation. This is not a matter of opinion, or religion: it is what science has shown. (…) Abortion thus becomes an instrument of discrimination and social eugenics: instead of fighting poverty, the poor are eliminated. We see this daily through the women we support.’ Julieta. More here
‘(The legalisation of abortion) is a great advance for our society, which empowers pregnant women to be able to decide about their bodies and their lives, avoiding many deaths and traumatic situations resulting from illegal practices. The right to decide is based on a correct and clear sexual education, access to all contraceptive methods and, if necessary, the possibility of terminating a pregnancy safely and free of charge.’ Cecilia. More here
‘I am for and against abortion. If a professional shows me that there is a period of time that confirms that until a certain week of gestation the baby does not feel physical or emotional pain, I would immediately lean in favour of abortion (until that week). There are ways to enrich the laws so they can be fair to everyone, but it takes time. And it is important that we respect the different positions and listen, because there is always something more to learn.’ Flor. More here
More information
For those women who think that abortion should be prohibited in all cases, we recommend the case of Honduras covered by the BBC in this video.
Social networks play a strong role in the debate. 200 pro-life organizations in Hispanic America made a call to post messages on social media against abortion #NoHablenPorTodas #Primero la vida. UnidadProvida is a network of more than 150 organisations that promotes the right to life of women and unborn children.
Pro Choice content can be found in #Abortolegalya and #abortosi, on Instagram @redperiofeministas. For those women interested in feminist struggles in Latin America, I recommend visiting LatFem.
For those women who want to help, there is an organisation that accepts donations of thousands of flights to pay for trips by Brazilian women so that they can carry out the procedure safely outside the country. Listen to this podcast for more information about this organisation.
This blog intends to publish different views on a controversial topic, we are open to publishing more content as long as they contribute some new argument to those that have already been raised. Otherwise we invite you to comment at the end of the blog, the comments must be approved by the administrator of this page to ensure that respect and cordiality prevail above all.