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Dear Team,
Today, in honor of International Day of the Girl, I want to share four stories with you. Below are the stories of four of our clients: Fatima, Norma, Lucía, and Susanna, each of whom became pregnant as a result of rape as young girls. Thanks to your generous support, we continue to defend the health and rights of girls like them all around the world.
Susanna's grandfather started sexually abusing her when she was six. By 13, she was pregnant. Susanna lives in Nicaragua, where abortion is banned in all cases, even when the woman or girl's life is at risk. Susanna was forced to carry her pregnancy to term without access to maternal health services. After giving birth, she began receiving death threats from her grandfather. She tried to go to the police, but was told there was nothing they could do. Her abuser continues to live without consequence.
Lucía, also from Nicaragua, became pregnant at the young age of 14 after being sexually abused by a local priest for over a year. She was taunted by her community as "the woman of the priest" and forced to drop out of school to give birth. Despite an official complaint, DNA evidence proving he is the father, and his known whereabouts, the priest has faced no legal consequences for his crimes.
Fatima was just 12 years old when she was raped by a public official in her home country of Guatemala. Three months later, she realized she was pregnant. Abortion is banned in Guatemala except for when the woman or girl's life is at risk, an exception that is narrowly interpreted to mean imminent death. She was forced to drop out of school while the man who raped her was never detained even though there was a warrant out for his arrest.
Norma's father began abusing her when she was 12 years old. She discovered she was seven months pregnant when she was 13. Norma lives in Ecuador, where abortion is permitted in cases of rape, when the pregnant woman has a mental disability, or when there is a risk to the woman or girl's life. In practice, these exceptions are narrowly applied, and effects on mental and social health are disregarded entirely. Desperate and traumatized, Norma attempted to kill herself. Despite this, she was offered no psychological support and was forced to give birth to the child. During labor, Norma refused to be touched, prompting the doctor to comment that she had opened her legs before, so why could she not do so now? One of the doctors even offered to buy the child. None of her abusers have been held accountable.
Despite serious risks to their physical, emotional, and social health, our clients were unable to access basic reproductive or mental health care services. They have received no justice for the crimes committed against them and the human rights violations they experienced... until now. Earlier this year, we filed four cases before the United Nations Human Rights Committee on behalf Susanna, Lucía, Fatima, and Norma to hold Ecuador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua accountable for the human rights violations they experienced.
No one should have to go through this. That's why, with your support, we're fighting for new human rights standards and expanded access to reproductive health care around the world.
Thank you for all that you do,
Catalina Martínez Coral
Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean
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