In El Salvador, women can be jailed for miscarriage. This is dreadful because when women miscarry, they should be comforted, instead the state in that country is doing the opposite and charging many with aggravated homicide. Amnesty International is working to stop this horrendous practice by lobbying governments, sending researchers into prisons and supporting local organisations. You can help to stop the injustice by donating today.
Criminal offence to terminate a pregnancy
The Law in El Salvador makes it a criminal offence to terminate a pregnancy regardless of the circumstances. The state assumes that women who suffer miscarriages still births, or other complications which result in the loss of a pregnancy deliberately caused it and are punished for it. When women in desperate pain and distress turn to health workers they are often reported to the authorities by doctors and nurses who are scared they will lose their jobs if they allow the so called crime to go unpunished.
No time to recover from medical procedure
Women are not allowed any time to recover from their medical procedures and some women who awaken from anaesthesia find there are police waiting at their bedside and are taken straight to prison. This is completely unacceptable and Amnesty International is urging people to donate so that they have the money to fight against this injustice.
Poorest women hit hardest
The situation is worse for those women who lack the money to put on a legal defence and are unlikely to get a fair trial. Often authorities seek to make an example of these women handing down prison sentences for as long as 40 years. These women are obviously not criminals and are actually victims of a law that is repressive. So help Amnesty International in its important work seeking justice for these women and demanding a change to abortion laws in El Salvador.
