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News > Ecuador

Ecuador: Minorities Women Affected by Abortion Law-Report

  • Ecuadorean health authorities reported in 2017 that clandestine abortions caused 15.6 percent of maternal deaths.

    Ecuadorean health authorities reported in 2017 that clandestine abortions caused 15.6 percent of maternal deaths. | Photo: Twitter/ @hrw_espanol

Published 14 July 2021
Opinion

Abortion is illegal in Ecuador, except when the life of the women are in danger, or the pregnancy is the result of rape. Women can be punished with up to three years in prison, and doctors who agree to perform abortion can be penalized for up to three years. 

Indigenous and Afro-descendent Ecuadorean women and girls living in poverty are disproportionately affected by the country´s abortion laws, a report indicates on Wednesday.

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According to an investigation by Human Rights Watch, from 2009 to 2019 at least 120 women and girls were charged with abortion and later prosecuted. The majority are Indigenous and Afro-descendent and 33 of these served time in prison.

"Ecuador: Criminalizing abortion violates rights and affects health | Human Rights Watch."

Abortion is illegal in Ecuador, except when the life of the women are in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape. Women can be punished with up to three years in prison and doctors who agree to perform abortion can be penalized with up to three years.

Ecuadorean health authorities reported in 2017 that clandestine abortions caused 15.6 percent of maternal deaths. Moreover, the report highlights that "Criminalizing abortion makes it more difficult for the government to effectively tackle the country’s alarming rates of violence against women."

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