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Send to friendWe strive for universal recognition of a woman’s right to choose and access safe abortion.
We believe unsafe abortion is one of the most serious and preventable social justice and public health issues in the world. Throughout Latin America and the Caribbean, where abortion is legally restricted in most instances, harmful, clandestine practices have damaging health effects and claim the lives of thousands of women, particularly poor women, each year. Our strategy for combating unsafe abortion involves a comprehensive approach to addressing unwanted pregnancy through our Member Associations in the region.
Promoting Rights
We work with health professionals to confront the stigma and silence surrounding abortion by making sexual and reproductive rights an intrinsic part of all services offered at our Member Associations. Rights related to abortion include a woman’s right to privacy, freedom of thought, liberty, security, and health care. We have partnered with Catholics for a Free Choice to support women facing unintended pregnancies and health providers who must consider the complex moral and ethical issues surrounding abortion on a daily basis.
Increasing Access
We seek to increase access to safe abortion services by advocating for changes in restrictive laws and public policies. Our Member Associations are important public voices articulating the need for safe and legal services, particularly as movements to liberalize abortion laws mobilize legislatures in several countries. Within restrictive contexts, we also increase access by educating health providers and the public about the few circumstances in which abortion is legal, as in cases of rape or when a woman’s health is at risk, as well as advocating for appropriate legal services in these instances. We play a key role in educating policy-makers about the issues surrounding abortion and in advocating for clear policies that effectively allow women to exercise their rights.
Diminishing Need
We remain committed to decreasing the need for abortion by providing sexual and reproductive health services for women, men, and young people, including contraceptive services and comprehensive sexuality education.
Our recent publications on safe abortion:
Legal Abortion: A Comparative Analysis of Health Regulations
The publications contains an analysis of health regulation in various countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, designed to assess measure that aid in the implementation of laws enabling the provision of legal abortion services.
The report also sets out a proposed model regulation that includes minimum standards for what is required by governments and health care providers to ensure women’s access to safe, dignified and timely services. This publication is the first attempt to establish a model regulation based on a comparison of current regulations.
2008 Annual Report
In 2008, our 41 Member Associations in Latin America and the Caribbean provided 29, 819,125 services. We helped improve individual lives, change attitudes and reduce poverty’s grip throughout the region. We drove on rugged mountain roads to serve women living in remote villages, miles from the nearest clinic. We were in the forefront of opposition to restrictive laws repressive policies and that deprive women of their dignity and the right to determine their own reproductive destinies. We also empowered young people through peer education programs and increased their access to appropriate sexual and reproductive health education, information and services.
