Paraguay denies abortion for 10-year-old rape victim

The Paraguayan government is denying a 10-year-old girl the abortion care she and her parents want. The girl, whose name will not be released, was raped by her stepfather and did not realize until 20 weeks in that she was pregnant. However, abortion is illegal in Paraguay except in cases of extreme threat to the woman’s life, and the government is not making an exception for her case.

Pregnancy at such a young age is actually very dangerous, notes Tara Culp-Ressler at ThinkProgress. Girls under the age of 16 are at four times greater risk of dying in childbirth and are much more likely to have medical complications. In fact, 28 minors died last year of pregnancy complications in Paraguay alone.

We’ve seen this problem of putting politics before women’s lives throughout Latin America. Last year, Chile denied an 11-year-old girl the abortion she needed and not long before her, El Salvador almost let 22-year-old Beatriz die instead of allowing her to terminate a pregnancy. If you need more proof that this problem is systemic, Mexico has imprisoned women for miscarrying, and there are currently 17 women sitting in jail in El Salvador for terminating their pregnancies.

Denying women abortions isn’t simply about religion and a difference of opinion. It’s about denying women their basic freedom to bodily autonomy, health, and even life in some cases. In fact, the UN has compared blocking access to abortion with torture. Says Culp-Ressler: “Under international human rights law, reproductive rights are recognized as a critical aspect of reducing maternal mortality, and UN officials regularly call on countries with particularly harsh abortion bans to remove unnecessary restrictions on the procedure.”

Banning abortion risks women’s lives and doesn’t protect children. It protects power.

Sign the Amnesty International petition calling on President Cartes to grant this young girl the abortion she wants.

Header image credit: Jorge Adorno/Reuters