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The date originated at the Fifth Latin American and Caribbean Feminist Meeting in 1990 , where September 28 was declared a symbol of the struggle for women's reproductive rights in the region. It was inspired by Brazil's "freedom of the womb," proclaimed in 1888.

In Latin America, women face criminalization and stigmatization when seeking abortion. These barriers, coupled with a lack of adequate services, force them to resort to unsafe procedures that put their health and lives at risk. 

Since 1998, abortion has been prohibited in El Salvador under all circumstances. This includes cases of rape, incest, or when the life and health of the mother are at risk, and when the fetus is not viable outside the womb. This extreme legislation has had consequences for women's health and human rights. While other countries in the region are moving toward decriminalization, El Salvador continues to criminalize those who make decisions about their own bodies.

The Citizens' Group for the Decriminalization of Abortion has studied the impact of the total abortion ban in El Salvador and its link to convictions for aggravated homicide. Between 1999 and 2019, they identified 181 cases of women prosecuted for abortion or obstetric emergencies that put the embryo at risk or resulted in its death.

Safe abortion is not only a right, but also a matter of life and death. The World Health Organization (WHO) indicates that complications during childbirth are one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. This shows that denying access to legal and safe abortion does not reduce the incidence, but rather increases the risk of unsafe procedures.

Legal abortion: advances and setbacks

In contrast to El Salvador, Mexico and Colombia have made significant progress. Mexico's Supreme Court declared the criminalization of abortion unconstitutional, and Colombia joined the green wave, decriminalizing it and marking a milestone in the region for reproductive rights.

In the United States, although not part of Latin America, the situation has regressed. The Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022, eliminating the federal right to abortion. This decision has led to restrictive laws in several states, including in cases of rape or incest, representing a serious setback for reproductive rights.

Abortion is a fundamental right linked to women's equality, health, and autonomy. Denying this right affects their ability to decide about their lives and limits their access to other rights and freedoms. The CEDAW Convention urges States to review their abortion laws and guarantee safe reproductive health services, eliminating punitive measures against women.

An essential right

On March 9, 2022, the WHO published new guidelines on abortion care to protect the health of women and adolescents and prevent the more than 2.5 million unsafe abortions that occur each year. Unsafe abortion is a leading cause of maternal mortality worldwide. The right to choose is essential to women's dignity and full citizenship. Ensuring legal, safe, and free abortion is an urgent measure to protect their sexual, reproductive, and human rights.

When abortion is performed using WHO-recommended methods appropriate for the stage of pregnancy and assisted by trained personnel, it is a safe and simple procedure. 

However, according to the WHO, only half of abortions are performed under these conditions. Unsafe abortions cause approximately 39,000 deaths annually and result in the hospitalization of millions of women due to complications. Most of these deaths are concentrated in low-income countries, with more than 60% in Africa and 30% in Asia, affecting people in the most vulnerable situations. 

In Latin America and the Caribbean, only El Salvador, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic prohibit abortion in all cases. 

This article was originally published in Alharaca (El Salvador) and is being published in Presentes as part of an agreement with this partner media outlet.