Abortion is criminalized in Ecuador. It is legally permitted only under certain conditions.
Women who have abortions could face a jail term of up to two years. Those who help others have an abortion could be punished with up to three years in prison.
And this isn’t just a theoretical threat. In the last 10 years, 493 people in Ecuador have been criminalized under this law, which was written almost two centuries ago.
We are demanding our right to legal abortion.
The Justa Libertad movement is made up of eight organisations in Ecuador – Surkuna, Las Comadres – Feminist Network of Accompaniment in Abortion, Alliance for Human Rights, Amazon Frontlines, Lunita Lunera Foundation, CEPAM, Sendas and BOLENA.
We are confident that Ecuador is ready to join the almost 80 countries that have removed abortion from their penal codes. According to a survey conducted in 2021, eight out of 10 Ecuadorians are opposed to a person who has an abortion going to jail.
In March this year we filed a lawsuit in the Constitutional Court, asking for the elimination of the ‘crime’ of abortion from our penal code.
Women and girls are being harmed by a lack of safe abortion access.
Although we cannot know the full extent of abortions taking place outside of the legal framework, the World Health Organisation estimates that seven women and girls have abortions every hour in Ecuador. Every day, on average, 54 people are hospitalized for causes related to unsafe abortion. This is a serious public health issue.
In addition, access to abortion under the legal conditions (to protect the health and life of the pregnant person, and in cases of rape) has decreased dramatically in the last decade. From 3,713 legal abortions performed in 2012, we went to 1715 in 2014, 804 in 2018, and just 541 in 2022. 2022 was the period with the fewest legal abortions performed in the last 10 years.
Lack of access to abortion disproportionately affects young women, indigenous women, Afro-descendants and especially impoverished women, as they are the ones who are criminalized and who are the main victims of unsafe processes.
We demand a positive and timely response from the Constitutional Court, since this is an issue that directly concerns half the population. Join us in fighting for the right to safe, legal abortion across Ecuador.
By Justa Libertad, a coalition of eight organisations in Ecuador. Coalition members Las Comadres and SENDAS are SAAF grantee partners.
If you are interested in learning more about the Justa Libertad movement check out their website, Instagram and X, and you can email contacto@justalibertad.org.