'A mother you shall be': Women in Ecuador prosecuted for having an abortion

In Ecuador, women are victims of the powerful Catholic anti-abortion lobby and a conservative judicial system. Those who can afford it can have an abortion for a few hundred dollars in a private clinic, with few repercussions. But those who don't have the financial means face a more difficult choice. Each year, around a hundred women are prosecuted for having a termination. In this highly conservative country of 17 million inhabitants, the social pressure to embrace motherhood is inescapable and pro-life groups are extremely vocal. Our reporters Justine Sagot and Juan Ignacio Dávila investigate.

Oct 7, 2022 - 13:47
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'A mother you shall be': Women in Ecuador prosecuted for having an abortion
In Ecuador, women are victims of the powerful Catholic anti-abortion lobby and a conservative judicial system. Those who can afford it can have an abortion for a few hundred dollars in a private clinic, with few repercussions. But those who don't have the financial means face a more difficult choice. Each year, around a hundred women are prosecuted for having a termination. In this highly conservative country of 17 million inhabitants, the social pressure to embrace motherhood is inescapable and pro-life groups are extremely vocal. Our reporters Justine Sagot and Juan Ignacio Dávila investigate.