Activists renew calls for legal abortions

One-third of maternal deaths in Argentina are a result of clandestine abortions. The government estimates that between 370,000 and 522,000 abortions are performed every year, most of them illegal. As pro-choice campaigners prepare to take the streets agai

Activists from the National Campaign for the Right to Legal, Safe, and Free Abortion (Campaña Nacional por el Derecho al Aborto Legal Seguro y Gratuito) are preparing their emblematic emerald green bandanas for next week’s pañuelazo on February 19, when they will as- semble before the National Congress building to call once more for the legalisation of abortion in Argentina.

Falling in line with a rich history of feminist activism and protest, the Campaign’s demonstration on Monday is an attempt to steer the narrative of abortion toward something that is not considered shameful. Decriminalisation is the ultimate aim.

While abortion remains illegal with few exceptions in Argentina, the abortion rate is exponentially higher than in countries in which the procedure is legal. In addition, complications from unsafe, clandestine abortions account for one-third of total maternal deaths in Argentina, making it the leading cause of maternal death in 17 of the country’s 24 provinces, according to Amnesty International’s 2017 Human Rights Agenda for Argentina.