Abortion Stigma in Colombia
Abortion is decriminalised in Colombia and is legal with no restrictions up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Yet, the abortion stigma continues to persist. In our new study, we find answers to barriers faced by abortion seekers in Colombia.
Abortion Stigma remains a big issue in Colombia. As the new study “Abortion and Stigma and Colombia: A review of policy and social media” by AbortionData.org and DisorLab demonstrates, the roots of stereotypical opinions towards the procedure lie within patriarchal social norms that control and organize traditional roles of femininity and other behaviours that are considered “deviant”.
By combining an analysis of statistical information and Twitter data, our study found out that there are three main drivers of abortion stigma in Colombia:
The main findingsThree main roots of abortion stigma in Colombia. Press the plus icon to find out more about each category.
Criminalization
The criminalization of a practice, as abortion, people perceive it as morally incorrect or dangerous. Abortion remains in the Penal Code of Colombia after 24 weeks of pregnancy.’
Traditional Roles of Feminity
Traditional roles of women as natural caregivers and mothers are disrupted when abortion seekers decide against pregnancy. Challenging traditional roles is met with hostility and lack of support.
Social Identity
In Colombia, demographic characteristics like social class, race, age, or nationality play a massive role in determining access to healthcare. Studies on abortion in Colombia reveal that poor, working-class rural people, especially migrants from vulnerable communities, face more obstacles in abortion access because of systematic inequalities. They are also stigmatised because of their social identity. Classism shapes the popular view around abortion in Colombia which is also people believe abortion seekers are only from marginalised groups. Abortion discourse therefore requires an intersectional approach that centers class and race.
Abortion and Stigma and Colombia: A review of policy and social mediaRead, download or simply check the complete report here
Why do we need a report about abortion stigma?
Since the decriminalization of abortion in Colombia through law C0-55, it is possible for anyone to have an abortion legally up to 24 weeks.
However, reality still looks different. A study by La Mesa por la Vida y la Salud de las mujeres shows that in the first 100 days of the law, 76 people already faced barriers in accessing abortion services. But why? One of the major barriers to access is abortion stigma, as the report mentions.
The Abortion Stigma Report 2022 by AbortionData.org and DisorLab shows where the stigma is coming from and proposes an item pool to measure abortion stigma in the country.
In this way, we expect and hope to socially decriminalise abortion in Colombia, making it accessible and safe for anyone.
Who is behind this research?
PhD. in sociology from Lancaster University, Researcher, and professor at the Universidad del Rosario.
MA Erasmus Mundus Gender and Women’s Studies, Researcher, and activist.
Assistant Researcher, Student at the Universidad del Rosario.
Abortion in Colombia
AbortionData.org is a platform to eliminate misinformation, myths, and fears surrounding abortion in the world by producing, sharing, and making accessible accurate information about abortion.
