Congress of the Republic puts gender, equality and reproductive autonomy policies at risk, says Promsex

With 77 votes in favor, 7 against and 20 abstentions, the plenary of the Congress of the Republic last Wednesday approved the motion declaring importance and interest the commemoration of the Day of the Unborn Child, referring to every human being from the moment of conception.

The motion also raises the “rejection of interference by non-governmental organizations and other associations that promote the crime of abortion and related illicit acts through unconstitutional, illegal campaigns and attacks on the life of the unborn child, thereby also risking the life and health of his mother”.

In this regard, Infobae consulted with Susana Chavez, director of the Center for the Promotion and Defense of Sexual and Reproductive Rights (Promsex) who exposes the panorama and the uncertain future for such high issues as reproductive autonomy.

- What is your opinion about the motion adopted last Wednesday?

- It is very regrettable because it is a resolution that they have put forward on two levels, on the one hand to declare this date as symbolic for the country, but the other also incorporates the attack on organizations accusing them of interference in public policies, which have to do with a problem as sensitive as unwanted pregnancy and pregnancy in girls.

Every advance of these policies means a painful journey for citizens, and for organizations like ours that we are just constantly drawing attention to ensure that this reality has a level of application in the country that unfortunately does not have.

- In the current Congress opposition and officialism have conservatism as a common point. Are the policies you mention in jeopardy?

- This is a majority Congress that has the issue of counter-reforms in its sights. The issues with the greatest vulnerability of this congressional majority are those of gender policies, equality of people, and reproductive autonomy. Now we are more afraid of consensus than dissent. What is leading to an institutional democratic weakness is the consensus found on the different political aspects that exist in the Legislative.

- What will Promsex's answer be?

- We are currently drawing up a pronouncement of rejection and we are calling on all organizations that defend women's human rights, particularly sexual and reproductive rights, because this is an attack. In fact, we are going to take all measures to our part, as civil society organizations, because absolutely false accusations are being made.

- Congressman Pedro Martínez (Acción Popular) said that a child can heal the aftermath of rape, but no one has the right to take away his life to a child who is being conceived. How do you take these words?

- That kind of opinion actually coincides more with the perpetrators rather than the victims. It is precisely the perpetrators who believe that they do no harm, those who rape their daughters, granddaughters, nieces, believe that this is a misdemeanor. What is more, they say that this is a private matter and they do not recognize the enormous damage they do.

In Peru, one in five girls before the age of 15 is a victim of rape. And 60 or 70 per cent of these victims occur in the home environment, by adults who are three times their age and many are responsible for minors. That's what we're talking about. We are frightened by the level of ignorance and lack of empathy.

- Is it right to celebrate the Day of the Unborn Child?

- It is a symbolic date that rather encourages hatred towards women, as if they were enemies of fetuses and their pregnancy. What is not recognized is that many of these women, wanting pregnancy, are forced to terminate it because of possible harm to their health. So, in reality, it is hate speech in disguise and that violates the dignity of women. What happens if it is the product of rape? Women are required to make extreme sacrifices that no one else is required of them.

- What can happen if we continue in this direction?

- They want to resemble Honduras and El Salvador. There, when a woman — according to them — has not taken proper care of her pregnancy and has an obstetric emergency, they treat it as a criminal issue. And in many obstetric emergencies, women are sentenced to 30 or 35 years in prison. Who will suffer that prison? Absolutely poor women. That's a setback. It's almost a Taliban system.

As long as complications in pregnancies, such as eptopic pregnancies, or those resulting from rape or fetal malformations, are not recognized, women will be forced to carry their pregnancies to the last consequences. It is an act that has been described as torture. That is what they want to resemble Peru, which is tremendous.

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