While the Zika virus spreads fast across Latin America, the demand for abortion is increasing even in countries where it is illegal to obtain one. During the International Women's Day on Tuesday, March 8, thousands of people rallied across South America to ask for an abortion law among other issues.
As part of the global observation of International Women's Day, large demonstrations were held in the capital cities of Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rika, Chile and Venezuela, according to Life News. In order to fight for their cause, women used their bodies in many of these protests by walking topless with slogans written across their stomachs and chests.
According to Los Angeles Times, Francoise Girard, president of the International Women's Health Coalition, declared that the Zika virus outbreak "has highlighted the cruelty behind some of these restrictive abortion laws". According to Girard, the global pandemic of Zika virus created anxiety and stress among pregnant women.
Leticia Zenevich, a spokeswoman for Women on Web, said that since the Zika outbreak began, requests for abortion-inducing medication have surged. Women on Web is an international non-profit organization that provides drugs and advice to women who live in countries where abortion is banned.
Zenevich said that since Feb. 1, Women on Web has been providing abortion pills free of charge to women in Zika affected countries. The drugs typically cost between $78 and $100.
Specialists and abortion rights activists fear that women might be forced to undergo dangerous abortion procedures in case abortion restrictions will not be loosen in Latin America. Zenevich said that women might look for other means to have an abortion during the Zika virus outbreak. This will create a very tragic landscape for women in Latin America.
According to reproductive rights advocacy groups, Dominican Republic, Chile, El Salvador, Honduras, Haiti, Nicaragua and Suriname outlaw abortion with no legal exceptions. Brazil, Guatemala, Paraguay, Panama, Mexico and Venezuela are among the nations that allow abortion only when necessary to save a woman's life.
