¡Las causales van! Four stories from America Latina

By Agustina Ordoqui

Dominican women claim for legal abortion: ¡Las causales van!
A hundred feminist organisations have been camping in front of the National Palace in Santo Domingo since March, claiming for the legal abortion in three circumstances: rape or incest, risk for the pregnant woman’s life or if the pregnancy is non-viable. This demand is accompanied on social networks with the hashtag #LasCausalesVan.
The Dominican Republic is one of the six countries in Latin America that held total abortion ban, although the Congress is currently evaluating an initiative that considers an exception if the medical staff judges that the mother's life is at risk.
However, "this bill doesn't consider that the woman has the possibility to decide, nor does it contemplate the cases that are stipulated by rights, dignity and the obligation to guarantee the life of women," said human rights defender Yildalina Tatem Brache to Les Glorieuses.

Brazil: penalties for gender wage gap
The Brazilian Senate has approved an initiative that sanctions companies that pay women less for performing the same job as their male counterparts, applying a penalty of up to five times the salary gap.
According to Simone Tebet, leader of the feminist caucus in the Senate, the gender wage gap in the country "can be as high as 25 per cent, meaning that a woman can receive three-quarters of a man's salary for the same job".
After its approval, the initiative was sent to the Executive branch in April, awaiting Jair Bolsonaro's promulgation. Even though the Brazilian President opposes gender equality policies, if he does not pronounce on this legislation, the bill will be passed with the signature of the president of the Senate, Rodrigo Pacheco, in accordance with the mechanism foreseen by the National Constitution.

A campaign in Bolivia for murdered women’s children
In Bolivia, the Observatorio para la Exigibilidad de los Derechos de las Mujeres started a campaign to make visible the children whose mothers were murdered. "When we talk about femicides, we must also talk about the other victims: the orphans," said Eulogia Tapia, their representative.
According to her data, in the first trimester of the year, 33 femicides were committed, leaving 43 children without protection, not only emotionally but also economically. In the last five years, more than 550 children have been affected. "But there is an underreporting of cases. That is why we must identify them and demand policies that contribute to the care of this population," said Tapia.
Meanwhile, between January 1st and April 4th, the Public Prosecutor's Office received 11,133 complaints of gender violence, which reflects an average of 118 assaults on women per day.

“Chabelita”, a voice of hope for Peruvian female workers
General elections were held in Peru on Sunday 11th April, although the next president will be decided in a second round on 6th June. Whether the right-wing candidate Keiko Fujimori or the leftist Pedro Castillo wins, there will be little progress on gender issues: both deny that inequality between men and women exists, despite the fact that the Global Gender Gap Report ranks Peru as one of the countries with the worst index in Latin America.
However, the good news is that Isabel Cortez was elected to the National Congress. “Chabelita”, 52, was a domestic worker and street-sweeper who raised her children alone, and has emerged as a political figure. Her story is similar to the story of many Peruvian female workers, whom she promises to represent. "Before, we didn't have a voice in Congress. We are going to defend the rights violated by traditional politicians," she told Les Glorieuses, and said she will also support access to abortion, gender identity and equal marriage.