Abortion continues to dominate the headlines in Latin America. In El Salvador, women have been jailed for seeking care at hospitals for obstetric complications and miscarriages, which were falsely reported as abortions to local authorities. A group of these women, known as “Las 17,” are serving up to 40 years in jail because El Salvador prohibits abortion in all circumstances. In Paraguay, where you can only get an abortion if your life is in danger, the country’s restrictive abortion legislation has also come under fire. A case getting much international attention involves a 10-year-old girl, raped by her stepfather, who has been denied an abortion. Mexico has now joined the fray, but in this case, it is good news. The state of Tlaxcala, located to the east
Tag: latin america
Brazil Marks International Women’s Day with Law on Gender-Based Violence
International Women’s Day is not only a time to reflect on the gains achieved by the women’s movement, but also to consider all of the work that still remains to achieve gender equality. When thinking about the long path to women’s rights, it’s gratifying to see countries make strides, as was the case with Brazil last week. Last Monday, Brazil’s President, Dilma Rousseff, approved legislation that imposes harsher penalties for those who harm or kill women and girls, a crime commonly referred to as “femicide.” With the new law, offenders could face up to 30 years of jail time. Femicide will now be defined as any crime that involves “domestic violence, contempt or discrimination against women” and will be considered aggravated