Women’s rights campaigners have welcomed the decision by El Salvador’s Congress to pardon a woman sentenced to 30 years in prison for murder after experiencing complications in pregnancy.
The woman, known as Guadalupe, was originally charged under the country’s harsh abortion laws. She is understood to have given birth to a stillborn baby after being raped. She gave birth at home but was taken to hospital later in the day after heavy bleeding. She was accused of trying to abort the baby. El Salvador is among a handful of countries that forbid abortion under any circumstances.
The domestic worker was later charged with aggravated murder. She has served seven years of her sentence.
Congress’s decision now needs to be ratified by Salvador Sánchez Cerén, El Salvador’s president.
A number of women have been charged under the country’s abortion or homicide laws after miscarrying or experiencing other pregnancy-related complications.
In December, a coalition of NGOs, led by Agrupación Ciudadana and the Center for Reproductive Rights, launched the Las 17 campaign calling for the release of Guadalupe and 16 other women who have been sentenced to 30-40 years in prison on murder charges after experiencing obstetric emergencies.
“El Salvador has finally heard the chorus of human rights advocates across the globe calling for the release of Las 17,” said Mónica Arango Olaya, regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean at the Center for Reproductive Rights.
“For decades, El Salvador has blatantly violated the fundamental human rights of these women and countless others. We stand with ‘Las 17,’ Agrupación Ciudadana and our global partners in this fight to seek justice for all Salvadoran women.”
Nancy Northup, the centre’s president and CEO, added: “A woman who seeks essential healthcare has committed no crime, and she should neither fear imprisonment nor be required to seek a pardon for her actions.
“Today’s action by the Salvadoran government must be followed in short order by the release of every woman wrongfully imprisoned under this oppressive law and decisive action toward the decriminalisation of abortion for all Salvadoran women.”
In 2013, El Salvador’s draconian abortion laws became the focus of international attention when a pregnant 22-year-old was denied an abortion even though her life was at risk.
Last year, the country was elected to the UN human rights council, which is “responsible for strengthening the promotion and protection of human rights around the globe”, as well as addressing rights violations.
El Salvador is one of only six countries that have complete bans on abortion. The others are Nicaragua, Chile, the Dominican Republic, Malta and South Sudan. Many other countries only allow abortion if a woman’s life is in danger.
