WATCH THE LAUNCH VIDEO HEREThe Consortio Latinoamericano contra el Aborto Inseguro (Latin American Consortium against Unsafe Abortion/ CLACAI) are pleased to announce that they have officially launched the Youth Network for Abortion Rights in LAC. The first steps leading to the formation of this new network were taken thanks to financial support received from the International Campaign for Women’s Right to Safe Abortion in 2021 and others.The network brings together young members of organisations and collectives fighting for abortion rights in the LAC region. Some of these members are featured in the launch video.They have held two online workshops and an online regional encounter — with the support and encouragement of CLACAI, MYSU, Jóvenes Latidas and the Centro de Derechos Reproductivos — where representatives of collectives, organisations, and regional networks all participated. In 2022, they met on two occasions (24 March and 25 August) to reaffirm the decision to establish this network, define mechanisms for participation and agree on launching the network publicly. Young people from the following countries participated in these regional meetings: Argentina, Bolivia, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.The network seeks to make youth action visible by providing meeting spaces to share experiences, strengthen spokespersons, and generate opportunities for regional advocacy.Principles
- We identify with the history of the feminist movement for abortion rights in Latin America and the Caribbean, to which we belong in order to promote and support the milestones and achievements of each country, the progress made, as well as the setbacks and their impacts.
- We fight for human rights by promoting and defending sexual and reproductive rights.
- We approach abortion rights from an intersectional perspective, so that the diversity of identities, bodies, territories, cultures, and social, political, and normative contexts may complement what we do.
- We fight for universal access to dignified, free, safe, and legal abortion for all women, trans and non-binary persons, and all those capable of becoming pregnant without discrimination. We defend reproductive autonomy and the right to decide freely about our bodies.
- We promote dialogue and respect interculturality. Recognizing the context of each organisation represented in the Network, as well as their achievements, strategies, and alliances.
SOURCE: E-mail from CLACAI, 19 October 2022