In a major victory for reproductive rights, Mexico’s Supreme Court ruled to decriminalize abortion on the federal level on September 6, 2023. While access to abortion is still considered unlawful in two-thirds of Mexico, the new Supreme Court decision means that people in those states now have the ability to get abortions at federal clinics. Several current and previous Channel grantee partners reacted to the news, all making clear what a significant win this was for the feminist movements who have been fighting for years.
Mexico-city based Grupo de Información En Reproducción Elegida (GIRE) is the main organization behind the lawsuit that led to Supreme Court decision. The New York Times quoted Rebecca Ramos, Executive Director of GIRE, in its Sept. 6, 2023 cover story. Amy Goodman of Democracy Now! invited Ramos on to the show discuss Mexico’s Supreme Court decision on Sept. 8, 2023. Rebecca Ramos stated that “we have been working on the legal path for 30 years” not only in regards to the judiciary branch but also with the congresses and the executive branch.
Giselle Carino, Chief Executive Officer of Fòs Feminista, an international feminist alliance, stated that “we celebrate the Court’s decision as a significant victory for all women, girls, and people who can become pregnant in Mexico, and particularly for marginalized people who are most impacted by the criminalization of abortion.” Carino congratulated GIRE and other feminist organizations for their work contributing to the “Green Wave” for reproductive rights.
María Antonieta Alcalde, director of Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean, stated that the decision “is huge progress in the recognition of reproductive rights,” and that Ipas is proud to part of the Green Wave movement helping advance women’s rights.
The inroads network which works to end abortion-related stigma, highlighted the response of their Mexico-based members, Fondo MARIA who also congratulated GIRE and celebrated the decision.