Women march in Yucatan calling for decriminalization of abortion

They demand access to basic sexual and reproductive health services in the state

Merida, Yucatan, (September 29, 2021).- From shortly before 7:00 p.m., around 200 women gathered in the Mother’s Park wearing black clothes, green scarves, and posters that signaled their request for free and safe abortion on the Global Day of Action for a Legal and Safe abortion.

After marching down chanting slogans such as “my body is mine, I decide I have autonomy, I am mine” they walked all the way down to the Plaza Grande in Downtown Mérida, right in front of the Municipal Palace, where they continued for several minutes singing and raising their voices for the right to decide freely.

They raised the flag by raising a green banner to the highest point of the pole that made it very clear what their struggle is: the decriminalization of abortion, with the color that has already been assigned for this cause.

After joining their voices, raising their posters, and marking the floor of the place with their petitions and complaints, one of those present took the megaphone and said: “We advocate for autonomous, free and safe abortion; in Yucatan, we want access to basic health services, sexual and reproductive health for all women in the region, Maya speakers or not”.

The voice said there is a stigma and social criminalization against women who abort or consider stopping their pregnancy and that needs to stop. The spokesperson finished with the phrase “they are our bodies and we decide” and was followed by the cries of the crowd present.

During the demonstration there was no shortage of men who approached in a mocking tone, in particular, three of them seemed to be under the influence of alcohol or some harmful substance with aggressive attitudes or with debates, a situation that triggered the cry of the women saying repeatedly “ only women ”and telling them to leave, which they finally did.

Some others recorded the demonstration a few meters away, but they were also asked to avoid it, making it clear that the demonstration they were holding was separatist, only for women.

“Get your ovaries out of our ovaries” was another of the slogans that were shouted over and over again, along with others that asked to separate the Church and the State for public decisions. 

Before the end of the march, another protester took the floor to say “that September 28 is not here, September 28 is not just today, it is all year long, it is every day” and advised not to go out alone and always send location to those close to her to stay safe.

At the end of that message, they joined the voices to shout a few more slogans calling for the decriminalization of abortion in Yucatán and then the women in black clothes and green scarves began to spread out.

Source: La Jornada Maya

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