Unwanted pregnancies in girls, adolescents, young people and women: Three grounds for legal abortion in Bolivia.

Who will cast the first stone?

Miriam Suárez Vargas

Women's Center

Amidst all the social pressure stemming from the intransigence of fundamentalism, we women find ourselves denied the right to participate in debates and make free and responsible decisions. A meeting of Catholic Church "men" has just concluded, ending with opinions that border on a complete lack of understanding of what a secular state truly is—one that respects the beliefs of its people, does not favor any particular belief, and does not influence public policy.

If we follow the principle of a secular state, the debates on the draft of the new Penal System should not be influenced by a religious institution, because that would open the possibility for all religious beliefs to demand the same treatment, that is, behind the backs of those concerned, to influence public policies aimed at protecting the rights of citizens, without discrimination of any kind.

As a citizen and as a woman, I feel compelled to clarify one point: the proposed new Criminal Justice System is comprehensive and strives for progress, as is fitting for any state that understands the progressive realization of rights for their recognition and exercise. Article 157, concerning the voluntary termination of pregnancy, does not affect the integrity of the proposed Criminal Justice System, which addresses society's distrust in the justice system and seeks to overcome the flaws and biases of its operators, such as the gender bias in its administration that hinders the resolution of gender-based violence that threatens women's lives.

Opponents of the bill focus their hatred on the reasons for terminating a pregnancy, without even glancing at the maternal mortality statistics in Bolivia. The figures are alarming: every day, 200 women risk their lives by undergoing unsafe abortions; daily, 150 women arrive at hospitals with abortion complications. In Bolivia, unsafe abortions performed without medical care, as established by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Bolivian Constitution, are the third leading cause of maternal deaths.

It is not my intention to comment on the actions of a priest from Beni; however, the opinions expressed after the release of photographs that violate the proclaimed Catholic vows are a defense that begins by emphasizing the human condition, mentioning that "let he who is without sin cast the first stone," and ends by saying that forgiveness is what we learned in the Church, therefore, we should be flexible and recognize ourselves as fallible beings. Why not express the same opinion about women? Is it because everyone wants to cast the first, second, and third stone at them? Isn't this the hypocrisy of a supposed morality that discriminates against people based on their sex? Excuse me, abortion is a matter of public health and human rights, and there is no room for debate about it.