Attempt to close safe abortion hotline in Chile
Press release
Anti-abortion groups in Chile announced they will attempt to close down the safe abortion hotline that was launched yesterday. This would be a severe violation of the constitutional right to freedom of Information.
Red Mujeres Chile launched the hotline "Aborto: Información Segura", marking the International Day of Action for Women's Health. The lauch took place in the Plaza Constitución, in the center of Santiago, Chile. The hotline will give information about the safe and effective use of Misoprostol to provoke an abortion. The hotline is supported by Women on Waves (Netherlands) and the Coordinadora Juvenil por la Equidad de Género (Ecuador). In the past weeks, members of the network have been trained in-depth about the use of Misoprostol, and have been working out legal strategies and expanding their support-network to make the hotline as effective as possible.
The event was covered by a wide range of national and international press, from television, radio, and print media. Interested women also approached the organizers wanting to get involved in supporting the initiative. The same day, grafitti bearing the hotline number appeared in Santiago, Concepcion, and Temuco.
Numerous women are already calling the hotline.
Chile has one of the highest rates of abortion in Latin America. Between 120.000 and 160.000 women have abortions every year, meaning that about 1 in 3 pregnancies end in abortion.
For more information:
Press inquiries: +56 984668855
Women needing help in Chile: 08-8918590.
To follow to activities surrounding the launch, please visit the Women on Waves website: www.womenonwaves.org/set-1936-en.html