Date: 29 May 2009
Source: Women on Waves
Anti-abortion groups in Chile announced they will attempt to close down the safe abortion hotline that was launched on 28 May 2009. 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 launch took place in a plaza in central Santiago, Chile. The hotline will give information about the safe and effective use of Misoprostol to induce an abortion. The hotline is supported by Women on Waves (Netherlands) and the Coordinadora Juvenil por la Equidad de Género (Ecuador). In the previous weeks, members of the network were 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. 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, representing about 1 in 3 pregnancies.
For more information:
Press inquiries: +56 984668855
Women needing help in Chile: 08-8918590.
www.womenonwaves.org/set-1936-en.html
