To: Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador
Support rape survivors in Ecuador
I support the removal of criminal penalties for women who seek an abortion and the elimination of all penalties for women and girls who seek abortion as a result of sexual violence.
Why is this important?
Rape survivors in Ecuador deserve access to safe and legal abortion services.
Despite a president who has demonstrated a commitment to other aspects of women's health, Ecuador's current criminal code allows abortion only for victims of rape with mental disabilities, significantly excluding millions of women in a country where one in four women has been the victim of sexual violence. This policy puts the health and lives of rape victims in danger, and represents an unacceptable departure from international court rulings, as detailed in a new Human Rights Watch report.
Rape survivors and all women in Ecuador and around the world deserve access to comprehensive health services including abortion if requested. A woman or girl who has suffered the trauma of rape shouldn't have to face the prospect of going to jail if she chooses to get an abortion. It is unacceptable for this or any government to continue to ignore the rights of women.