Dear ally,

I wanted to share this historic update: On February 21st, the Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled to decriminalize abortion up to 24 weeks of gestation. Colombia is now the eighth country in Latin America and the Caribbean to decriminalize abortion during initial stages of pregnancy.

The Center became a part of this journey in 2020 when we joined the Causa Justa Movement, a coalition of organizations and advocates fighting for reproductive rights in Colombia. We were one of five organizations that worked to draft the lawsuit seeking to eliminate abortion as a crime, reduce barriers to legal abortion care, and end the risk of criminal prosecution of people seeking abortion care and of health care workers providing care.

This ruling is a huge victory for access to abortion in the country and in the region, setting an important example of how to advance sexual and reproductive health and rights.

While this ruling will bring monumental change to sexual and reproductive health and rights in Colombia with a ripple effect across Latin America and the Caribbean, there is plenty of work ahead of us. With you by our side, the Center will not rest until all barriers to abortion access are removed.

Join me in celebrating Colombia's massive win for sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Sincerely,

Catalina Martínez Coral
Senior Regional Director for Latin America and the Caribbean