On October 28th, hundreds of women took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro to fight for their rights, against setbacks in legislation, such as PL 5069/13, which makes legal abortion difficult in cases of rape, and the fall of the president of the Chamber of Deputies. Deputies, author of the aforementioned PL, Eduardo Cunha.
Under the shouts of “Out, Cunha!”, “My body, my rights”, “Pil stays, Cunha leaves”, “Machistas will not pass”, “The body is ours! It's our choice! It's for women's lives! Legalize!” the crowd of feminists, made up mostly of women, but with the presence of many men, proved what a woman's place is in the struggle, by demanding not only the permanence of the right won, which is the possibility of abortion in the case of rape, but also the expansion of this right with the legalization of abortion. Cinelândia was the stage for performances and meetings that sealed the mobilization and incorporated women of all generations.
In Brazil, abortion is only possible in cases of rape, risk to the mother's life and fetal anencephaly. PL 5069 modifies the Assistance Law for Victims of Sexual Violence, allows health professionals to refuse to provide or administer medications that they consider abortifacients and even changes the understanding that rape is any and all sexual intercourse without consent, which It makes it difficult for a woman to prove that she was a victim of sexual violence, being obliged to provide a police report. It is a law that, to some extent, protects the rapist!
In addition to taking a stand against this setback and a greater process of conservatism installed in society and in Congress, women fight for the right to their bodies, including the unrestricted and free legalization of abortion.
Illegal and unsafe abortion is the 5th cause of maternal mortality in Brazil (Ministry of Health), affecting mainly black and poor women who are the ones most victimized by clandestine abortions, since middle and upper class women are able to access health services. better quality, although illegal. Worldwide there are more than 40 million abortions per year, almost half of them in poor conditions and 98% of these abortions take place in the Global South. The problem must be faced within the scope of public health and women's rights and not be a criminal issue. However, this approach encounters strong resistance from conservative sectors of society in a large part of the National Congress, in particular, made up of political leaders who have used legislative power in favor of religious fundamentalism and attacking initiatives and policies related to topics such as sexuality education, sexual diversity and legalization of abortion.
Promundo, in partnership with the MenEngage-Brasil network, will launch the “Men in Favor of the Legalization of Abortion” campaign during the 16 days of activism, because we understand that the right to terminate a pregnancy must unequivocally rest with women, however, Efforts to involve men as supportive partners and defenders of guaranteeing the full right to safe and legal abortion for women can be a strategic measure, since the majority of the congressional bench and public positions of power are made up of men who must be engaged in this fight.
The demonstration on October 28th showed that it is necessary for civil society, feminist and human rights movements to increasingly strengthen the fight for the legalization of abortion. Let's move on, this is just the beginning!
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