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On September 28, Latin America and the Caribbean will commemorate the Day of the Women's Struggle for the Abortion Legalization.
Over 500 personalities from Argentina's sectors of education, entertainment, sports, culture, journalism, and feminist activism Sunday signed a petition to demand the urgent approval of the Voluntary Interruption of Pregnancy Law.
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A young woman who was imprisoned for three years for spontaneous abortion in Tucuman is among the signers of the petition. The document recalls that approximately 54 abortions are performed per hour in Argentina.
Official statistics show that 39,025 women and girls were hospitalized for health complications related to unsafe abortions performances last year. Six-teen percent of them were between 10 and 19 years old.
"These statistics only show a fraction of the total number of pregnant women affected. Unsafe abortion leaves deaths as short and long-term consequences. Argentina's government must take care of women, girls, and adolescents' health," the signers stated.
President Alberto Fernandez assumed the public commitment to send a bill to Congress. However, the bill presented by the National Campaign for the Right to Safe and Legal Abortion is still under the Parliament's evaluation.
Activists hold green handkerchiefs - the symbol of the reproductive rights movement in protests which have lead to Argentina set to become the first major Latin American country to legalise abortion #womensart pic.twitter.com/ltd7vDnAR0
— #WOMENSART (@womensart1) March 2, 2020
"It is essential that the government leaves aside political disputes prioritize women's health care. Legal, safe, and free abortion is an emergency," the petitioners asked.
Feminist lawyer Nelly Minyersky, Indio Solari, Pedro Cahn, Lucrecia Martel, Nacho Levy, Claudia Piñeiro, Beatriz Sarlo, Natalia Oreiro, Marcelo Tinelli, Marta Minujin, and Fito Paez are among the signers of the petition.
Also, Maria O'Donnell, Elizabeth Vernaci, Lali Esposito, Martha Rosemberg, Maria Santillan, Narda Lepes, Paulina Cocina, Rita Segato, Dolores Fonzi, and Jorge Fontevecchia are among the 500 signatures.
On September 28, 1990, Latin American feminists signed their commitment to fighting for the decriminalization and legalization of abortion.
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