What the UN’s ruling on abortion in Ecuador and Nicaragua means for the rest of the world

Although implementation will depend on each country, these sorts of rulings have a potential for global influence

By Elizabeth Hlavinka
February 19, 2025

The United Nations Human Rights Committee issued a ruling last month with the potential to expand reproductive rights in Ecuador and Nicaragua. Although it’s unclear how each country will implement the UN mandates handed down, the ruling is a step forward for a growing reproductive rights movement working to decriminalize abortion in Latin America.

In 2016, Planned Parenthood Global, Amnesty International, and other Latin American activism groups came together to form the “Son Niñas, No Madres” (Girls, Not Mothers) movement. They have filed legal cases before the UN Human Rights Committee against Ecuador and Nicaragua, representative of a regional pattern of girls forced to become mothers due to sexual violence and a lack of access to reproductive health services like abortion in 2019.

Continued: https://www.salon.com/2025/02/19/what-the-uns-ruling-on-abortion-in-ecuador-and-nicaragua-means-for-the-rest-of-the-world/

UN ruling on pregnant girls offers hope for abortion care

Enid Muthoni, Lori Adelman
Jan 29, 2025
Center for Reproductive Rights

Nicaraguan Susana was 13-years-old when she became pregnant by her grandfather, who had repeatedly raped her. When she found out, Susana said she did not want to continue with the pregnancy, and, with the help of her grandmother, pled five times for the complaint against her aggressor to be accepted. In a country like Nicaragua, which totally bans abortion and has normalized human rights violations, voices like Susana's are not heard. She was forced into motherhood, while her aggressor was never prosecuted. However, this month Susana finally got justice on Jan. 20.

On the same day Donald Trump returned to the White House, the United Nations Human Rights Committee delivered three groundbreaking rulings, holding Ecuador and Nicaragua responsible for grave human rights violations against Susana and two other young survivors of rape who were forced into motherhood. The Committee is clear: everyone, and with greater emphasis on girls, has the right to be free from sexual violence and free to make their own choices. Although the decisions are about the cases of Norma from Ecuador and Lucía and Susana from Nicaragua, they set a new international standard for more than 170 signatory countries of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, including the United States.

Continued: https://www.context.news/socioeconomic-inclusion/opinion/un-ruling-on-pregnant-girls-offers-hope-for-abortion-care

29.01.2025

News

International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights

Movimiento Son Niñas No Madres

Planned Parenthood Global

rape and abortion

sexual violence

United Nations Human Rights Committee

UN Ruling: Ecuador and Nicaragua Must Legalize Abortion to End Violations of Girls’ Human Rights

The Human Rights Committee recognizes that abortion bans violated the rights of girls who survived sexual violence and were forced into motherhood.

22.01.2025
Center for Reproductive Rights

(PRESS STATEMENT) — In a major victory for girls’ and women’s rights, the United Nations Human Rights Committee ruled Monday that Ecuador and Nicaragua violated the human rights of three girls who were forced into motherhood due to abortion bans in those States. In its decision, the Committee recognized that forced pregnancies and forced motherhood disrupts the personal, family, educational, and professional goals of girls, and constitutes a form of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment by severely restricting their right to a dignified life.

The cases of Norma (Ecuador), and Susana and Lucia (Nicaragua), were brought before the Committee in 2019 by the Center for Reproductive Rights and allied organizations. The girls were 12 and 13 years old when they became pregnant after being raped by men in positions of power and authority whom they trusted (the biological father, the grandfather, and a priest, respectively).

Continued: https://reproductiverights.org/un-ruling-ecuador-and-nicaragua-must-legalize-abortion-to-end-violations-of-girls-human-rights/

Young advocates are ‘a formidable force’ for abortion access globally

August 6, 2024
IPAS

Working for a world where every person has abortion access is a longstanding passion for David Imago-Jácome. An accomplished advocate for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), adolescent wellbeing and youth participation, he currently serves as the director of YIELD Hub, which works to empower young people and promote their SRHR.

On July 1, Imbago-Jácome became a member of the Ipas Board of Directors—a full-circle moment, as he first collaborated with Ipas as a young medical student in Ecuador on reproductive rights advocacy trainings for himself and his fellow students. He went on to work as a medical doctor and began the advocacy work that he continues today.

Here he shares how he began his journey as a young advocate and what inspires him most about the next generation.

Continued: https://www.ipas.org/news/young-advocates-are-a-formidable-force-for-abortion-access-globally/

06.08.2024

Interviews/Podcasts

David Imago-Jácome

International Federation of Medical Students’ Associations

Ipas

Partnership for Maternal Newborn and Child Health

sexual and reproductive health and rights

YIELD Hub

Youth Coalition for Sexual and Reproductive Rights

Justa Libertad: A Movement to Decriminalize Abortion in Ecuador

The Green Wave Continues to Make Strides in Latin America

April 15, 2024
Cristina Quijano Carrasco, Researcher, Women's Rights - Human Rights Watch

Justa Libertad, an Ecuadorian coalition of eight civil society organizations, recently filed a lawsuit before the Constitutional Court of Ecuador seeking to decriminalize abortion. This crucial initiative seeks to ensure that women, girls, and other pregnant people can access safe abortion care. It follows similar coalitions that achieved progress in other Latin American countries like Colombia, Mexico, and Argentina.

Abortion is currently penalized in Ecuador with up to three years in prison, with exceptions for cases in which the pregnancy represents a risk to the life or health of the pregnant woman or, after a 2021 Constitutional Court ruling, when the pregnancy is the result of sexual violence. Even for cases that fit these narrow exceptions, accessing abortion care remains challenging due to stigma among health personnel and other institutions that hold the belief that once pregnant, women and girls are obligated to become mothers.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/04/15/justa-libertad-movement-decriminalize-abortion-ecuador

15.04.2024

News

Constitutional Court of Ecuador

Cristina Quijano Carrasco

decriminalization of abortion

Demonstrators across Latin America demand abortion rights

September 28, 2023

Americas Desk, Sep 28 (EFE).- The Day for Decriminalization and Legalization of Abortion drew demonstrations all over Latin America on Thursday to address a lack of protection in countries such as El Salvador, fear of losing rights in Argentina, intense political debates in Brazil and progress in Mexico.

In El Salvador, activists from the Feminist Assembly denounced the total criminalization of abortion as the “greatest expression of violence” against women, who can be accused of aggravated homicide and sentenced to 30 years in prison, even in cases of miscarriage.

Continued : https://www.laprensalatina.com/demonstrators-across-latin-america-demand-abortion-rights/

Abortion rights activists in the US can learn from recent progress on abortion access in Latin America

Analysis by Stefano Pozzebon, CNN
Sat May 7, 2022

Bogota, Colombia (CNN)The prospect of the United States overturning decades of abortion rights, which materialized this week in a leaked draft opinion by Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, triggered shock waves in many countries in Latin America, where many feminist organizations have often looked at the US as a model of greater reproductive rights and freedoms.

However, that model has flipped on its head in recent years. Just as several US states have put in place further barriers to abortion access through various restrictions, some countries in Latin America have moved in the other direction, with a growing number of countries liberalizing such laws.

Continued: https://www.cnn.com/2022/05/07/americas/abortion-analysis-latin-america-activists-intl-latam/index.html

Ecuador’s Lasso seeks rule changes over limits for abortion in rape cases

Reporting by Alexandra Valencia and Oliver Griffin. Writing by Oliver Griffin. Editing by Gerry Doyle
Reuters, March 15, 2022

QUITO, March 15 (Reuters) - Ecuador's president, Guillermo Lasso, a conservative former banker, on Tuesday said he would propose tightening time limits for abortion in cases of rape after new rules were approved by the South American country's National Assembly in February.

Last month Ecuadorian politicians voted to approve rules permitting abortion for pregnancies arising from rape until 12 weeks' gestation, or up to 18 weeks for adult women belonging to indigenous groups or who live in rural areas.

Continued: https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2022-03-15/ecuadors-lasso-seeks-rule-changes-over-limits-for-abortion-in-rape-cases

15.03.2022

Ecuador Should Ensure Abortion Access in Rape Cases

February 17, 2022
Ximena Casas, Researcher, Women's Rights Division, Human Rights Watch

Lucía was 15 when a stranger raped her as she walked home from school. The rape resulted in a pregnancy and in June 2015 Lucia gave birth alone in the bathroom of her home, where the baby died. She was convicted of homicide and sentenced to five years in prison. She spent four years and three months in a juvenile facility.

A bill is before the National Assembly that will guarantee effective access to abortion in cases of rape, and passing it should be a priority. The final bill should not include practical barriers to accessing care such as gestational limits and reporting requirements. The bill should regulate conscientious objection to prevent it from hindering timely abortion access and require health personnel to protect patient confidentiality.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/02/17/ecuador-should-ensure-abortion-access-rape-cases

Ecuador legislators approve regulations allowing abortion in cases of rape

The new measure allows abortions up to 12 weeks of pregnancy for urban adult women and 16 weeks for rural minors and adults

By Alexandra Valencia
Thu 17 Feb 2022

QUITO, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Ecuador's National Assembly on Thursday approved regulations to allow women and girls access to abortions in cases of rape, amid widespread debate about the issue in the mostly conservative country.

The vote comes after the Constitutional Court gave the green light for abortion in cases of rape last April and ordered legislators to speedily regulate the procedure.

Continued: https://www.reuters.com/world/americas/ecuador-legislature-approves-rules-abortion-cases-rape-2022-02-17/

18.02.2022