Chilean women: Abortion does not solve problem of sexual violence, discrimination

Santiago, Chile, Aug 5, 2015 / 19:26 pm

Women in a new video released in Chile said that mothers facing difficult pregnancies need compassion and care from society, not abortion.

"I became pregnant after I was sexually assaulted by a stranger, and it was a traumatic experience," said Magaly Rios.

"I also had a miscarriage, and it was very distressing. So I can imagine the pain these women subject themselves to when they decide to have an abortion. The suffering is for the rest of your life. Your whole life you think about this child who died."

Rios was one of the women who shared her testimony in a new video #MiDecisión (MyDecision), which highlights the stories of women who have faced crisis pregnancies in Chile.

#MiDecisión was launched amid legislative debate on a bill that would legalize abortion in the country in cases of rape, incest or fetal deformity.

In the video, women decry violations from sexual violence to workplace discrimination. However, they also reject abortion as a solution to these problems.

"I don't want to be a rape victim, or lose my job because I'm pregnant," one woman said.

However, she continued, "I can't kill a child for those reasons, or for any other. Because it's my child, and he's in my womb, I'm first of all the one to take care of him, protect him and respect him, and defend his right to life even if he's so ill that he won't live after he's born. No law can change that."

At the end of the video, women hold signs that say: "No to sexual violence, discrimination, abuse of women, injustice, lies, and abortion. Both lives have value."

Myriam Trullenque, a professor who participated in the video, explained, "I'm Catholic and defending life is defending what I believe in. It's not up to us to take away the life of baby because God made us out of love and so we also need to receive with love the unborn children."

"We have to create real networks of support for women who are in this dilemma, so Chile can be a place where everyone can live, no matter what situation they're in," she said.

The #MiDecisión video, which has surpassed 26,000 views on Facebook, was created by a group of lay people who are promoting the initiative @ValePorDosChile (Both have value).

The initiative seeks to promote care for both mother and child in crisis pregnancy situations, rejecting the proposed law that would legalize abortion as a "solution" for such situations.

"We believe it's necessary to take a look at integrating the values of freedom, dignity and respect for the mother as well as for the child. In that way, we're trying to create a sense of responsibility in society to take care of the problems that thousands of women are going through and who see abortion as the only solution to their problems," the Vale por Dos webpage explains.