Since October 2006, women in Nicaragua have been denied the right to an abortion, even in cases where pregnancy puts a woman's life at risk.
Amelia, a 27-year-old Nicaraguan woman and the mother of a 10-year-old child, has cancer. Despite the fact that she needs to undergo treatment immediately, she was denied a therapeutic abortion.
MADRE was part of a coalition of US-based and Nicaraguan organizations that prepared an international legal challenge to Nicaragua's abortion ban. As a result of this challenge the government of Nicaragua has been asked to review the law banning abortion.
MADRE joins the Strategic Group for the Decriminalization of Therapeutic Abortion in Nicaragua and calls for Nicaraguan authorities to reverse their decision in Amelia's case.
Write the president of the Inter-American Commission, Luz Patricia Mejia Guerrero (luzmejia@hotmail.com), and the Commissioner on Nicaragua, Felipe Gonzalez (Felipe.gonzalez@udp.cl).
Here are links for more information:
- Nicaragua's abortion ban preventing cancer patient from receiving necessary treatment (Feministing, February 23, 2010)
- Groups Petition Inter-American Human Rights Commission on Behalf of Pregnant Nicaraguan Denied Cancer Treatment (RH Reality Check, February 22, 2010)
- Nicaragua Total Abortion Ban Challenged in Case of Cancer Patient (Latin American Herald Tribune, February 20, 2010)
- RIGHTS: Nicaragua Refuses to Discuss Therapeutic Abortion (Inter Press Service, February 15, 2010)
- Nicaragua: The Reality of Abortion Restrictions Revealed (RH Reality Check, September 10, 2009)
- The Nicaraguan Abortion Ban Tortures Women (myMADRE, July 29, 2009)
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