JINHA

NEWS CENTER – In Perú, where women face jail time for having abortions, women from the group Déjala Decidir (Let Her Decide) held a naked protest outside the congress last night after the congress rejected a law that would lift the ban.

Women in Perú face two years in prison for having an abortion, but despite the dangerous medical conditions and the risk of prison time, one in 20 women in the country has an abortion. In Perú, a country with Latin America's highest rate of rape, a woman's sentence for having an abortion is reduced to "only" three months in cases of rape. Every year in Perú, 35,000 pregnancies occur due to rape.

In Perú, citizens can bring a law before the congress if they gather over 60,000 signatures. The pro-choice women's group coalition Déjala Decidir managed to reach the number, despite the strong influence of the Catholic Church and conservatism that makes many reluctant to put their name on initiatives related to abortion. Déjala Decidir brought a draft law to lift the abortion (endorsed by 64,200 citizens) to the congress; it was rejected on Tuesday. The congress said in their justification that they considered life to begin at conception and would not accept the popularly supported law.

Last night, around 30 women from Déjala Decidir spread their purple capes in front of the Peruvian Congress to reveal their topless bodies, on which they had written "Let Me Decide." Many women attended the protest in support.

(cm)