73. Are We Defending Life or Not? Abortion Advocacy Through Data w/Lina López

Between 1999 and 2011, 17 Salvadoran women were sentenced to up to 40 years in prison after experiencing miscarriages, which were shockingly classified as aggravated homicide.

This episode unpacks that outrageous reality, raising questions about how miscarriages (spontaneous abortions) can even be treated as crimes and why the government chose to prosecute rather than protect these women in a healthcare crisis. We speak with Lina Lopez, an abortion activist with Abortiondata.org and Viva Futura who shares her insights from her experiences as an abortion doula in Colombia, a country that has faced significant restrictions on abortion rights.

The goal? To shed light on the stigma surrounding abortion and advocate for a narrative that places women's health and autonomy front and center.

Check out the shownotes for resources and more!

Takeaways:

• In El Salvador, the shocking reality is that women can face homicide charges for miscarriages, which raises serious questions about healthcare and justice.
• Abortion stigma is a global issue, deeply rooted in societal views of womanhood and autonomy over one's body, and it's time to challenge these norms.
• Data shows that legal restrictions on abortion do not prevent the procedure but rather lead to unsafe practices that endanger women's lives.
• Conversations about abortion should be grounded in empathy and respect for individual experiences, emphasizing that every story matters in this discourse.

Links referenced in this episode:

• abortiondata.org
• reproductiverights.org
• podcaston.org
• plannedparenthood.org

This episode is done in partnership with Podcasthon, a global charity movement focused on raising awareness for the charities and nonprofits that we love through the voices of podcasters all around the world. This week, and this week only from March 15 to 21st, over 1600 podcasters from around the world are dedicating one episode to a cause that they care deeply about.

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