The campaign “Déjala Decidir” (Let her decide) tries to put in place a strategy for a social movement in favour of the decriminalisation of abortions in Peru if the pregnancy is due to sexual violation.
There are three goals: (1) Creating a strong social movement in favour of legalization of abortion in cases of sexual violation by getting people to exercise their responsibility as citizens and by encouraging them to exercise their civic capacity to make propositions to the parliament and to question it officially; (2) Generating arguments in favour of legalization of abortion on the bases of human rights, fundamental rights and public health; (3) Getting rid of the social image that women have no right to decide for themselves, creating a favourable thinking in society.
Six women’s organizations have collaborated to make this campaign happen:
Centro de la Mujer Peruana Flora Tristan (FLORA TRISTAN)
Movimiento Manuela Ramos (MANUELA RAMOS)
Centro de Promoción y Defensa de los Derechos Sexuales y Reproductivos (PROMSEX)
Estudio para la Defensa de los Derechos de la Mujer (DEMUS), Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir – Perú (CATOLICAS PERU), Comité de América Latina para la Defensa de los Derechos de las Mujeres ( CLADEM-PERU)
All of these groups are united under “Articulación Feminista” which is coordinating and channelling the efforts of different feminist or human rights organizations that support the legalization of abortion in Peru. After a long period of silence, Déjala Decidir puts the debate on legal abortions back on the political agenda in Peru.
The campaign aims at fundamentally changing social structures by using the “Iniciativa Legislativa Ciudadana”. This political procedure – that can be translated as Legislative Initiative by Citizens – enables the people to propose a project of law to the Congreso de la República, the Peruvian parliament.
This initiative needs a lot of organization and preparation, but it gets the people involved from the very beginning; hence why we can actually count on their support once the law project on legalizing abortions in cases of sexual violations and decriminalising non consented artificial insemination and non consented transfer of egg cells is put forward to the parliament.
Today, the campaign Déjala Decidir is the only way to achieve a proper and complete discussion in parliament on this topic. The legal bill the campaign is proposing will provoke a political debate if laws should be changed and if abortions in case of sexual abuse should be legalized. Once the signatures are collected, the proposed bill is presented to parliament and will pass through the different discussion stages within parliament. Parliament will dedicate 120 days to discuss this topic.
Interview: Josie Cárdenas, spokesperson for “Déjala Decidir” – “Let her decide” Campaign in Peru: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3p-fx2trF4