‘Care Is a Political Act’: MADRE’s Global Legacy of Organizing and Solidarity

4/18/2025
by Eleanor J. Bader

In the mid-1980s, neither Amnesty International nor Human Rights Watch considered rape a weapon of war or categorized sexual assault as a violation of human rights. But MADRE did. The 40-year-old, U.S.-based global feminist organization helped correct these egregious omissions.

The group’s legacy includes numerous other accomplishments: MADRE was one of the first domestic organizations to partner with international LGBTQ+ and Indigenous activists and was one of the first to analyze foreign policy through a feminist lens.

Continued; https://msmagazine.com/2025/04/18/care-is-a-political-act-madres-global-legacy-of-organizing-and-solidarity/

Interview with a Midwife: In Romania, Abortion Care Access is Slipping Away

“Anytime a woman comes for health services there are huge barriers.”

Song Ah Lee, Heather Barr
April 7, 2025

Romania has a deeply disturbing history of interfering with women’s reproductive rights. Behind the Iron Curtain, abortion as well as birth control was deeply restricted from 1966 until the government fell – with the USSR – in 1989. During this time, roughly 10,000 women and girls died after they were forced to resort to unsafe abortion; some experts believe the real figure is much higher.

Today, on paper at least, abortion in Romania is legal until the 14th week of pregnancy and in certain other cases. But in reality, it’s shockingly and increasingly hard for women to access health care services to end unwanted pregnancies. While government officials pay lip service to protecting women’s rights, behind the scenes they are often doing whatever they can to make abortion inaccessible, including partnering with “crisis pregnancy centers” that pressure women and girls to continue pregnancies, often through deceptive and other abusive means. A new Human Rights Watch report, “It’s Happening Even Without You Noticing”, documents this alarming trend. Human Rights Watch’s former researcher Song Ah speaks with Romanian midwife and activist Irina Mateescu about her work to defend the sexual and reproductive health rights of women and girls.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/04/07/interview-midwife-romania-abortion-care-access-slipping-away

‘It’s Happening Even Without You Noticing’: Increasing Barriers to Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Romania

7 Apr 2025
reliefweb

(Berlin) – The sexual and reproductive health and rights of women and girls, including the right to abortion and family planning methods, have been significantly eroded in Romania, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

The 73-page report, “‘It’s Happening Even Without You Noticing’: Increasing Barriers to Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Health Care in Romania,” documents that, although these rights are partially protected under Romanian law, in practice women and girls are regularly and systematically thwarted in their efforts to exercise these rights.

Continued: https://reliefweb.int/report/romania/its-happening-even-without-you-noticing-increasing-barriers-accessing-sexual-and-reproductive-health-care-romania-enitro

07.04.2025

Guatemala: Failed Response to Sexual Violence Against Girls

Inadequate Health Care, Education, Social Security, Justice for Young Survivors

Human Rights Watch
February 18, 2025

(Guatemala City) – Successive governments in Guatemala have failed to meet their obligations toward girls facing early and forced pregnancies due to sexual violence, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. The authorities need to provide sexual violence survivors with comprehensive health care, education, and social security, as well as necessary legal protections, justice and reparations.

The 85-page report, “‘Forced to Give Up on Their Dreams’: Sexual Violence against Girls in Guatemala,” documents the numerous barriers that girls who are survivors of sexual violence face accessing essential health care, education, social security, and justice. Guatemalan law classifies any sexual activity involving a child under 14 as sexual violence. Guatemala’s National Registry of Persons (RENAP) reported that between 2018 and 2024, 14,696 girls under 14 gave birth and became mothers, in many cases against their will.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2025/02/18/guatemala-failed-response-sexual-violence-against-girls

18.02.2025

Commentary

Cristina Quijano Carrasco

forced pregnancies

Forced to Give Up on Their Dreams’: Sexual Violence against Girls in Guatemala

Human Rights Watch

sexual violence

sexual violence survivors

Trump expected to quickly revive ‘global gag rule’ on abortion

by Alejandra O’Connell-Domenech
01/19/25

President-elect Trump is expected to reinstate a controversial policy soon after taking office that would further bar foreign nongovernmental organizations that perform, counsel on or provide information on abortions abroad from receiving U.S. funding.

The Mexico City Policy, referred to as the global gag rule by its opponents, was first introduced during the second Reagan administration and has been rescinded by every Democratic president and reinstated by every Republican president since then. Trump previously restored the policy four days into his first term before President Biden rescinded it again a week into his own.

Continued: https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/5092735-trump-abortion-mexico-city-policy/

Decriminalization of abortion in Mexico spurs international calls for stronger reforms

Daniela Pulido | Facultad de Derecho PUCP, PE
November 30, 2024

Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday called on Mexican authorities to strengthen abortion access and eliminate remaining criminal code barriers after the Congress of the State of Mexico voted to decriminalize abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

HRW emphasized that while the State of Mexico’s reform marks substantial progress, implementation remains crucial. The organization advocated for comprehensive service delivery and the complete removal of remaining legal barriers that might discourage healthcare providers or patients.

Continued: https://www.jurist.org/news/2024/11/decriminalization-of-abortion-in-mexico-spurs-international-calls-for-stronger-reforms/

30.11.2024

News

abortion law reform

Congress of the State of Mexico

decriminalization of abortion

State of Mexico Congress Votes to Decriminalize Abortion

Authorities Should Ensure Access to Care, Wide Dissemination of Legal Protections

Nov 28, 2024
Human Rights Watch

(Toluca) – The vote by the Congress of the State of Mexico on November 25, 2024, to decriminalize abortion in all cases during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is a significant step forward for reproductive rights in the country’s most populous state, Human Rights Watch said today.

Once enacted, the reform will remove all criminal penalties for abortion within the first trimester. It will align the State of Mexico with 18 other states in the country that have already decriminalized abortion following the landmark 2021 ruling by Mexico’s Supreme Court, which found the absolute criminalization of abortion unconstitutional.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/11/28/state-mexico-congress-votes-decriminalize-abortion

28.11.2024

News

Congress of the State of Mexico

Cristina Quijano Carrasco

decriminalization of abortion

South Korea – She claimed she aborted her baby at nine months. In this country, there’s no law against that

By Lex Harvey and Gawon Bae, CNN
Fri September 20, 2024

A South Korean vlogger who claimed to have terminated her pregnancy at 36 weeks is being investigated for murder in a case that’s prompted horror in South Korea and raised urgent questions about why the country has no abortion laws.

Seoul National Police began investigating the woman in July at the request of the South Korean government, after she posted a video to YouTube purportedly documenting her experience of getting an abortion, police told CNN.

Continued: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/09/20/asia/south-korea-abortion-youtube-video-intl-hnk/index.html

20.09.2024

South Korea Constitutional Court

Susanné Seong-eun Bergsten

Mexico: Inadequate Abortion Access in State of Mexico Violates Human Rights

State Government Should Fully Decriminalize Abortion
August 13, 2024
Human Rights Watch

(Mexico City) – Authorities and healthcare providers in the state of Mexico, the nation's most populous state, are failing to guarantee access to abortion care, even in cases in which it is permitted under state law, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today. Despite nationwide strides towards recognizing access to abortion as a constitutional and human right, the state of Mexico continues to criminalize abortion, allowing exceptions only in cases of rape, “negligent abortions,” risk to the pregnant woman’s life, or when the fetus has “serious congenital or genetic alterations.”

The 44-page report, “Navigating Obstacles: Abortion Access in the State of Mexico,” found that the state’s abortion law does not guarantee access to this essential service, even for legally eligible cases. Barriers to access include healthcare providers denying or delaying services, withholding necessary information, questioning the veracity of sexual violence survivors' statements, subjecting women to mistreatment, and imposing arbitrary requirements for access that contradict existing law and regulations.

Continued: https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/08/13/mexico-inadequate-abortion-access-state-mexico-violates-human-rights

Femicide and Reproductive Violence Harm African Women, Girls

Betty Kabari, Researcher, Women's Rights Division - Human Rights Watch
July 31, 2024

International African Women’s Day on July 31 recognizes the contribution of African women toward political, social, and economic freedom on the continent. But gender equality is still not a reality for most African women.

Many countries still have regressive laws, and even the more progressive laws in other countries are often poorly carried out. There is a lack of supportive frameworks to promote and safeguard women and girls’ equality, such as research into rights violations and public education on gender equality and women and girls’ rights.

Continued; https://www.hrw.org/news/2024/07/31/femicide-and-reproductive-violence-harm-african-women-girls