The Supreme Court in Brazil stands at a momentous juncture as it deliberates on a historic case that could decriminalize abortion. This reality presents an unprecedented opportunity for our country, prompting me to craft a compelling story for our esteemed Supreme Court. At this very moment, the fate of millions of Brazilian women rests in your hands, and I implore you to consider their plight. Allow me to share my personal journey as Eliza, a Brazilian filmmaker, during the initial months of the global pandemic. While all of my film projects were canceled, I found solace in documenting an extraordinary chapter of my life.
However, amidst the backdrop of this newfound purpose, I, like many pregnant women, found myself grappling with profound mood swings. Was it merely hormonal fluctuations or a deeper intuition guiding me? These questions lingered until the 14th week of my pregnancy when I received an answer from my doctor that shattered my world. He informed me that my baby would not survive, burdened with a malformation incompatible with life. My child would never experience a single moment of joy. How could I bear the weight of carrying this pregnancy for the next five months? It became a torturous ordeal for both myself and my son.
It became resoundingly clear to me that terminating my pregnancy was the only compassionate choice. Unfortunately, I discovered that my country’s legal framework denied me this right. In Brazil, abortion is deemed a grave offense, with only three exceptions providing any respite: when a woman’s life is endangered, cases of rape, or when the fetus’s brain fails to fully form. For every other situation, including mine, Brazilian women face the horrifying prospect of up to three years’ imprisonment. Fueled by my unwavering commitment to fight injustice through film, I embarked on a journey across Brazil a year and a half later. This voyage aimed to capture the stories of women grappling with the same agonizing dilemma for a powerful documentary.
I encountered women who had undergone both legal and illegal abortions. Others had given birth to babies who departed this world shortly after. Among these narratives, Priscilla’s account struck a chord with me. She belonged to a devout evangelical background, deeply influenced by her minister grandfather. Nevertheless, when confronted with the reality of her third baby’s inescapable fate, her perspective on abortion underwent a transformative shift. Each woman I encountered shared their harrowing decision-making processes, with many breaking their silence for the first time. These accounts were diverse, yet united by a shared experience of suffering in silence. When fear stifles one’s ability to share their story, the story itself ceases to exist.
It is estimated that Brazil witnesses roughly half a million abortions annually, with less than 1 percent being legally conducted. This grave issue is exacerbated by prevailing social inequalities, reflected in the fact that black women are 46 percent more likely to seek abortions compared to their white counterparts. Similar to the United States, where women are compelled to cross state lines in pursuit of legal abortions, Brazilian women also face the arduous task of seeking assistance beyond their country’s borders. Unfortunately, the prohibitive costs involved make this option unattainable for the vast majority. I, personally, had to terminate my pregnancy in Portugal, where abortion has stood as a legal right since 2007. It remains etched in my memory as the darkest moment of my life. Simultaneously, I recognized the immense privilege I possessed, leading me to channel my anger towards the countless Brazilian women ensnared in the perilous world of underground abortions.
Imagine enduring all of these ordeals, only to face imprisonment as a consequence. Statistics indicate that one out of seven Brazilian women of my generation has undergone an abortion. These women could be your mothers, sisters, daughters, or friends, and yet their struggles likely remain obscured. During my hospitalization in Lisbon, I personally experienced complications related to my uterine fibroids, necessitating a week-long stay. Had I been trapped in the confines of silence and fear, my access to life-saving medical care would have been severely curtailed. In Brazil, it is estimated that a woman dies every two days due to unsafe abortions. Prior to the legalization of abortion in Portugal, it represented a leading cause of maternal mortality. However, the scenario drastically changed following legalization, with a significant reduction in maternal deaths attributable to abortions.
Through my experiences, I have concluded that every abortion stems from an inherent incompatibility with life. While some stories, like mine, highlight an incompatibility with a post-womb existence, it predominantly relates to a woman’s economic and emotional life. As long as this incompatibility persists, women will invariably resort to seeking abortions, irrespective of the dangers and obstacles they face. In simpler terms, criminalizing abortion fails to curb its prevalence. We must now examine whether we wish to reside in a country whose laws inflict torture upon its own citizens or join neighboring nations like Argentina, Colombia, and Mexico in decriminalizing abortion to confront reality head-on.
To Luís Roberto Barroso, the incoming chief justice of the Brazilian Supreme Court, and to each esteemed judge entrusted with this crucial decision, I implore you to seize this unique opportunity. Unlike its United States counterpart, Brazil’s Supreme Court possesses the power to rectify this situation immediately. By decriminalizing abortion, you have the ability to prioritize public health and break the cycle of silence that imperils countless lives. Stand with us, amplify our voices, and save our lives. Please, decriminalize abortion in Brazil.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
