With a birthday cake at hand, the Dominican Republic Republic Carlos Sanchez recounted Instagram post How did Winifer Nunez Bito died in 2021 after doctors on the island refused to end her severe pregnancy due to the country’s total abortion in the country.
Nunez Beto left behind a husband and a young daughter. In the video, Sanchez said that the cake is not for his birthday, but rather a year of one year, as women are asked not to die because of a law that prevents doctors from saving their lives.
Sanchez told the NBC News that he felt that he had to use his platform to raise awareness because “it is barbaric that on this day and the mother’s era endangered her life because of a risky pregnancy that can end, but the law prohibits doctors to do so.”
Sánchez is among the many artists and activists in the Dominican Republic participating in a social media campaign to pay to amend the recently passed penal law that maintains a full ban on abortion. Many artists used their platforms to tell the stories of Dominican women who lost their lives due to pregnancy.
On Instagram, singer and actress Fateli tells the story For Damaris Mejia, which went to three different hospitals when she started feeling sick and has a high fever. According to Fatol, the medical staff did not know what to do with the pregnancy at risk. It was sent to the house with pain relievers and died that night. Fatol says that doctors were unable to save her because of the ban, and ends with words, “Life is full of exceptions.”
The Dominican Republic is a conservative country that includes the Bible on its knowledge. The country signed an agreement, or an agreement, with the Vatican in 1954, which made Catholicism the religion of the state, although the constitution allows freedom of worship.
The Catholic Church in the country Supports a miscarriageAs well as evangelical groups. But Alianza Cristiana Dominicana, a group formed in 2017 by women from various Christian denominations, is pushed for the Penal Code to include what is known in the region as “Tres Cursales”, or three reasons or conditions that must be allowed to become pregnant: when a woman’s life is at risk, in a state of mercy or fortification, and when she is not pregnant. “Tres Baseales” is used in other countries throughout Latin America that has reduced the total ban on miscarriage.
Alianza Cristiana Dominicana cooperated with artists to share stories.
So far this year, there have been 100 documented deaths in the Dominican Republic. Natalia Marmueol, of the alliance for a woman’s life and rights, believes that these lives could have been saved if abortions were legal.
“This is a battle to ensure the minimum protection for life, health and dignity for girls and women,” said Marmool. “We ask the minimum protection, so women do not die on the hospital bed. So the 13 or 15 -year -old girl is not obligated to continue the pregnancy that is the product of rape. Therefore, a woman can decide when the pregnancy is not applied.”
The former Penal Code of the Dominican Republic has been present since 1884, and the efforts made to reform that have failed for decades. The new Penal Code was approved by legislators and was signed by President Louis Abenader.
Abender was previously Express support To make exceptions to prohibit abortion, but after winning his re -election he did not pay for changes.
After voting, Abinader said that the Penal Code, which covers many types of crime, “is not the ideal but it is the best, because among other things, it replaces legislation dating back to 1884.”
Marmueol said the new penal code includes points that called the group, such as female classification, deliberate killing of a woman or girl, as well as an increase in the severity of the punishment for sexual assault.
She said that the new Penal Code does not come into effect until August 2026, and there is time to amend the law to include the three exceptions.
The alliance has paid for the life and rights of women and other groups for years to include the three exceptions, even Establishment of a camp In 2021 in front of the National Palace to pressure Parliament.
In the Dominican Republic, women face up to two years in prison due to miscarriage and doctors and midwives can get five to 20 years to end the pregnancy.
Four other countries in Latin America and the Caribbean are maintaining a complete ban on abortion, including Haiti, Nicaragua and El Salvador. Most Latin America and the Caribbean Sea region allow abortion in limited cases.
Izabel De Dios, a singer and songwriter in the Caribbean Sea region, said that she is active in the feminist movement throughout adulthood, and often participates in the protests. Her first song, called “Colonizado”, or “colonial”, talks about how society expects to stay in well -known roles and turns a blind eye.
She described the Penal Code as “crazy”, “dictatorial” and “feudal”.
“What kind of society we build?” She said.