The sailboat of Women on Waves, a Dutch association, has docked in Mexico and offers free abortions, in a country where the legislation is restrictive.
In Mexico, in 2009, one million abortions were performed. It is legal there, but under certain conditions, especially when the pregnancy is the result of rape. Conditions which vary according to the laws of the 31 states of the country, and which do not ensure the safety of women. Thus, if the procedures are simple in Mexico City, and only lead to a tiny proportion of complications (0.68%), at the national level, this figure would rise to 36%, especially when abortion is due. be carried out in hiding.
A situation that prompted the Dutch NGO Women on Waves to moor its boat in the port of Ixtapa, in the southwest of the country. She offers free medical abortions, up to 9 weeks of pregnancy. To get around Mexican rules and stay within the law, members of the association collect women wishing to have an abortion and take them to international waters, where an examination and abortion are performed.
“Access to a safe abortion is, above all, a question of social justice”, estimates the NGO. “Faced with the Zika virus, which causes fetal malformations, the reaction of Latin American governments has not been acceptable,” said the president of the NGO, Rebecca Gomperts.
A boat under surveillance
Involved in countries where abortion is complicated, the NGO has already sent its boat to Ireland, Morocco, Poland, Portugal or Spain, but also to Latin America. Last February, especially under pressure from Christian associations, the boat was expelled under military escort from Guatemala, where it had dropped anchor. Local authorities accused the activists of having lied to immigration, claiming to be mere tourists.
This time, everything seems to be in order for the NGO, which will welcome women until the end of the month… if time permits! During a first outing this week, the NGO justified its name: the ship had to turn back, faced with the violence of the waves off Ixtapa, while it had on board two women ready to receive treatment .
.
