2023-11-24 02:01:00
Demonstration in Bogotá, Colombia, in favor of safe abortion / Chepa Beltran/Long Visual Press/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Abortion rights advocates and essential services are being stigmatized, intimidated, attacked and unfairly prosecuted, making their work increasingly difficult and dangerous,” Amnesty International said in a new statement. report published today.
The report An unstoppable movement: A global call to recognize and protect those who defend the right to abortion, reveals the number of health professionals, activists and companions around the world who suffer abuse, arrest, prosecution and imprisonment for supporting the right of women, girls and all people who can become pregnant to access abortion. That type of environment is predominant, even in countries with legislation that partially allows abortion.
Have a inhibitory, silencing and stigmatizing effect on all people who defend access to abortion, as they live in constant fear of being attacked or prosecuted for providing abortion services, regardless of whether it is legal or not. It is also creating significant barriers for women, girls and everyone who needs these services, particularly the most marginalized people.
“The right to abortion is not an opinion. It is a question of international standards and international legal norms. This is a right supported by a multitude of human rights, such as the right to physical and mental integrity, the right to health and the right not to be subjected to unlawful and arbitrary killing through the withdrawal of safe services. It is fundamental to the dignity of all women and girls, and of people who can become pregnant. Those who defend and make possible the exercise of this right deserve our respect and protection.. However, many States around the world insist on policies of excessive regulation and criminalization that create a hostile and even dangerous environment for people who defend the right to abortion,” said Agnès Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
“Anti-abortion discourse, policies and laws put a target on the backs of people who are professionally dedicated to health and those who practice activism. The rights of those who defend the right to abortion are under attack, as these people are subject to stigmatization, abuse, discrimination, criminalization, imprisonment and even homicide. However, their human rights to work without fear, to provide essential services without threats and to exercise their professional skills without discrimination must be respected and protected.”
Isolated and without support
Although progressive abortion law reforms continue, anti-abortion setbacks prevent access to abortion by promoting misinformation and toxic discourse, such as smear campaigns that invade public discourse and create agitation against the right to abortion and those who defend it.
“Many sexual and reproductive health service providers have come to feel that suffering from this harassment and abuse is part of their work, but we cannot allow this to become normal,” said Sarah Shaw, advocacy director at MSI Reproductive Choices. “Enough already. “It is time to recognize people who provide abortion services as defenders of human rights, and to support those who risk their lives to make the option of abortion possible.”
The report, based on nearly 50 interviews with abortion rights advocates around the world, compiles stories and information shared by frontline and grassroots organizations, and reflects concerns raised by global health organizations, which last year launched a call to protect these defenders. People interviewed, particularly healthcare workers, explained that they often feel isolated and unsupported. They are not recognized for their work, and face the threat of criminalization, harassment, stigmatization, verbal threats and violence, as well as isolation and burnout in the workplace. Some healthcare workers have seen their personal data leaked online, and others don’t know if they will get home safely. For example:
The Venezuelan professor and human rights defender Vanessa Rosales was criminalized for helping a woman and her 13-year-old daughter access an abortion. In Poland, Justyna Wydrzyńskaa member of Aborto Sin Fronteras and the Abortion Dream Team, was convicted this year of helping a woman access abortion medication, which is a safe way to terminate a pregnancy. In Ghana, a person who defends sexual and reproductive rights He stated that the providers of these services have suffered physical violence and public humiliation by members of the public for educating the population about contraceptive methods.
“Violence against sexual and reproductive health professionals who are on the front lines continues without being reduced in the slightest; It is time for the voices, experiences and concerns of our defenders who are at the forefront to be heard,” said Álvaro Bermejo, director general of the International Planned Parenthood Federation.
“As anti-abortion authorities around the world continue to promote stigmatization, fear and hate speech against those who seek or provide these services, we, as institutional defenders of sexual and reproductive rights, commit to living up to the defenders who are on the front line.”
Health personnel in conflict
The criminalization of abortion is the factor that most contributes to An estimated 35 million unsafe abortions are performed each year. This means that healthcare personnel are constantly caught in the conflict between the moral and professional duty to provide the best possible care and the fact that they may be held criminally liable if they do not comply with harmful laws.
“Abortion is essential medical care. However, as healthcare professionals we regularly face discrimination and violence simply for doing our jobs,” said Dr Anne-Beatrice Kihara, President of the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO).
“Restrictive attitudes and laws about abortion cause harm. They create hostile environments that fuel abortion-related stigma and treat both those who provide abortion services and those seeking to receive them as criminals. “We all have colleagues who, unfortunately, have had to fight against stigma, career blocks, intimidation, physical attacks, imprisonment and, in the most extreme cases, have been the target of murder.”
Midwives are also at risk, although they are trusted health professionals to whom women turn for help when they become pregnant, in communities, clinics and hospitals.
“The duty of a midwife includes supporting access to abortion services and defending the right to make reproductive health decisions freely,” said Sally Pairman, executive director of the International Confederation of Midwives. “Midwives should not suffer undue risk, violence, abuse or personal harm for doing their work. State and health authorities have the duty to guarantee the protection of all health workers, including midwives.”
Recognize the work of human rights defenders
“People who defend the right to abortion are guaranteeing and facilitating access to essential services. That they have to do so in the face of hostility is unacceptable. It is imperative that these people have the protection of States and authorities, so that they can carry out their work without suffering reprisals,” said Agnès Callamard.
“As part of our global campaign, Amnesty International calls on States around the world to fulfill their obligation to protect the right to safe and legal abortion for all, and to respect and protect the right of all those who defend the right to abortion.”
Likewise, Amnesty International urges States to recognize that the role of human rights defenders working on access to safe abortion is legitimate and fundamental for the promotion and exercise of sexual and reproductive rights; and to ensure that women human rights defenders working on access to safe abortion are not criminalized, intimidated or attacked, and to hold those who attack them accountable to justice.
It is time for women human rights defenders to be protected and fully supported in their workplaces, as Guillermo Ortiz, an obstetrician from El Salvador and Ipas activist, can attest.
“I think it is important for those who practice medicine to make abortion accessible in countries with restrictive laws. We are the ones providing care to the poorest women, those most likely to be harmed. We are on the front lines of health care, and we must be part of the movement in favor of access to safe abortion. “Abortion is health care.”
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