Mexico has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world, and women are being mistakenly imprisoned just for suffering a miscarriage. Mexico's states have varying laws regarding abortion, and in most states abortion is illegal even when a woman's life is in danger. Between 2009 and 2011, at least 679 women were reported or sentenced for allegedly having an abortion.
28-year-old Adriana Manzanares was imprisoned for most of her 20s, despite her claim that she only had a miscarriage. Her father accused her of murdering her child, and she originally received a 27-year sentence for manslaughter, later shortened to five years. The evidence against her was an unscientific test on her foetus' lung. The court placed the lung in water, and because it floated, they determined the baby was born alive. In reality, such a test proves nothing.
These types of witch hunts are out of date and discriminate against women, particularly indigenous women from poor communities. Please sign the petition to urge Mexican legislators to stop criminalizing suspected abortions!
We, the undersigned, are concerned about the strict abortion laws in most Mexican states. We understand that women are being imprisoned for miscarriages. We are also troubled that abortion is illegal in most states even when the woman's life is in danger.
28-year-old Adriana Manzanares was imprisoned for most of her 20s, despite her claim that she only had a miscarriage. Her father accused her of murdering her child, and she originally received a 27-year sentence for manslaughter, later shortened to five years. The evidence against her was an unscientific test on her foetus' lung. The court placed the lung in water, and because it floated, they determined the baby was born alive. In reality, such a test proves nothing.
We believe these policies and methods are out of date and discriminate against women, particularly indigenous women from poor communities. We respectfully urge you to stop criminalizing suspected abortions. Thank you for taking the time to read and consider our petition.
