Helga Soraya Corrillo Machicado

Sonia, a pseudonym to protect her identity, is a 20-year-old girl who has lived a heartbreaking experience. From the age of 13, she was a victim of sexual abuse perpetrated by her cousin. At 16 she became pregnant due to this trauma. In a brave act, Sonia reported the abuse and sought support to terminate her pregnancy through the Legal Interruption of Pregnancy (ILE). However, the use of conscientious objection by some doctors and the lack of confidentiality prevented Sonia from accessing this procedure.

The news of Sonia’s pregnancy reached her family and members of the community, including some religious figures who pressured her to continue with the pregnancy. Four years passed since Sonia gave birth, but the memory of that trauma never left her.

Sonia’s story is not unique. In the Gran Chaco Province, located in the department of Tarija, Bolivia, the Legal Interruption of Pregnancy (ILE) faces serious obstacles, despite the regulations that support it in cases of sexual violence. In this region, ILE is limited and, in many cases, hampered by various barriers. Thus, in October 2022, a nonviolent campaign was carried out to guarantee reproductive rights and combat gender violence, including the promotion of accessible, comprehensive and agile health services in establishments in the Gran Chaco Province.

The main purpose of this campaign was to mobilize feminist collectives and authorities to guarantee the effective application of the ILE. Therefore, it was decided to take some steps into account, such as documenting the obstacles that prevent the correct implementation of the ILE in the province: lack of information, institutional barriers, limited access to services and social stigma. The campaign also sought to raise awareness about the importance of ensuring access to ILE in cases of sexual violence to health professionals, justice operators, personnel from the Ombudsman’s Office for Children and Adolescents (DNA) and the Comprehensive Legal Service. Municipal (SLIM). In addition, training was carried out in order to provide the necessary tools to handle cases in an effective and respectful manner.

Legal Termination of Pregnancy is a fundamental right that enables women to access safe and legal health services in risk situations, when the pregnancy is the result of rape or when there is a serious fetal malformation. Although the legality of ILE in cases of sexual violence is supported by the Plurinational Constitutional Sentence SCP 206/2014, the application has many significant obstacles: lack of information and stigmatization, which lead women to be unaware of their rights and fear to seek the ILE; the lack of clear protocols in health facilities and the personal objection or religious beliefs of some professionals; geographic difficulties in accessing services, especially in rural areas; and community stigma, which generates discrimination and isolation, increasing women’s vulnerability.

During the campaign, visits were made to the municipalities of Yacuiba, Villamontes and Caraparí (Tarija) with the purpose of interviewing the operators and professionals mentioned above and also collecting stories of women who have experienced the Legal Interruption of Pregnancy (ILE) — maintaining total confidentiality. Subsequently, data tabulation and presentation of the research was carried out objectively. On the other hand, work was also carried out to strengthen capacities through training and training modules for health operators, justice operators, DNA, SLIM personnel and community promoters. Finally, the results of the research and the progress of the nonviolent campaign were disseminated through social networks and other media with the aim of raising community awareness and mobilizing public support.

This campaign has had the valuable support of organizations such as Cemproc and the Rotary Club, the IVI MARAEI Foundation, the Bolivia Women’s Fund and the collaboration of the Gran Chaco Network against Violence (Bolivia). This network, made up of various public and private institutions and feminist activists, including the Community Promoters in the Prevention of Gender Violence, have played a fundamental role in joining their efforts to guarantee the application of the ILE, especially in cases of sexual violence that affects girls and adolescents.

In conclusion, the nonviolent campaign, called Enforceability of the Application of the ILE in the Gran Chaco Province, has managed to advance in making visible the obstacles that the ILE faces in this region of the country. However, much work remains to be done to ensure that all women have access to safe and legal health services in life-threatening situations or when they have been victims of sexual violence.

The fight for reproductive rights and the elimination of gender violence must be constant and sustained. The nonviolent campaign will continue working to overcome identified obstacles and promote an environment where the rights of all women in the Gran Chaco province are respected.

Helga Soraya Corrillo Machicado

She has a degree in forestry engineering and is a passionate community promoter in the prevention of gender violence. She stands out as an extrajudicial conciliator and facilitator of restorative justice mechanisms.

Text published on November 3, 2023

Translated by Damian Vazquez.