On March 8, International Women’s Day, feminist collectives stated that the Chihuahua state government is obstructing access to abortion in the public health system, despite the procedure having been decriminalized over a year ago.
In a statement released on International Women’s Day, members of the Marea Verde Chihuahua organization stated that state authorities maintain institutional barriers that prevent the right to choose from being effectively exercised in public hospitals.
They also pointed out that, while abortion is no longer a crime in the state, access to medical services continues to face administrative obstacles, stigma, and refusals in public clinics.
“It has been a year and a half since abortion was formally decriminalized, but political will remains lacking. We strongly denounce the fact that the Chihuahua government continues to obstruct access to abortion services in the public health system,” they stated in the document.
The activists maintained that every denial of care in hospitals represents a case of institutional violence.
“Every time a woman is rejected at a clinic, every time social stigma is imposed on her as a medical barrier, the State is committing institutional violence,” they stated.
The collective indicated that, given the lack of access in public institutions, support networks have taken on the responsibility of assisting women and pregnant people seeking to terminate a pregnancy.
According to their statement, for more than six years these networks have provided information, support, and guidance to ensure the procedure is carried out safely, work they consider the responsibility of the healthcare system.
“While public institutions turned their backs, the collectives and support networks have been there informing, supporting, and ensuring that no one goes through this process alone or in danger,” they expressed.
The members of Marea Verde Chihuahua pointed out that the state government itself has had to recognize as a victim a person who was denied the right to an abortion in a public hospital.
In response, they demanded that the State recognize these cases as human rights violations and guarantee full reparations for the harm suffered.
Among the measures they proposed were:
Full reparations for those who have been denied abortion services in hospitals.
Guarantees of non-repetition that eliminate administrative obstacles.
Regulation of conscientious objection to prevent its use as a barrier to denying services.
The statement also criticized the installation of fences around public buildings during the March 8th demonstrations.
The collectives pointed out that the government led by Governor Maria Eugenia Campos Galván prioritizes fortifying buildings instead of addressing demands for reproductive rights.
“Neither their fences, nor their complaints, nor their silence will stop us. The tide is rising and continues to grow,” the statement concluded.
The organizations reiterated that they will continue mobilizing until abortion can be performed freely and without restrictions in the state’s public hospitals.
Source: laverdadjuarez
