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Mexico

Articles by Mexico

abortion-rights
21 September 2023

Let the Green Wave wash over Mexico

On September 6, news platforms erupted with the headlines: “Abortion has been decriminalized throughout Mexico,” “Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion at the national level,” “Abortion is legal throughout Mexico.” As we approach September 28, the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe Abortion, these words resonate powerfully. We clarified what we know so far about the precise implications of this monumental development in Mexico in an Instagram reel, but it's crucial to also take this chance to reflect on why celebrating our triumphs is vital to the global movement for sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice.   The Mexican Supreme Court’s landmark decision to declare the criminalization of abortion as unconstitutional comes in the wake of the Green Wave movement that has washed over Latin America in the last few years. Argentina became the first country in the region to legalize abortion in 2020, forming the movement that has paved the way for other countries including Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, and now Mexico, to either fully decriminalize or greatly expand access to abortion. IPPF’s Member Associations including Profamilia in Colombia, Colectivo Rebeldía in Bolivia, APROFA in Chile, and MexFam in Mexico, have been tirelessly defending and promoting the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and I am thrilled to celebrate this latest victory for the Green Wave movement in my home country, Mexico.  Seeing the coordinated efforts of these organizations translate into positive Court rulings to provide access to safe abortion services is hugely rewarding. It is also essential to recognize that local efforts are intricately connected to the recognition of our rights on regional and global levels. Take, for example, the public statement from the Mexican Supreme Court: “Criminalization of abortion constitutes an act of gender-based violence and discrimination, as it perpetuates the stereotype that women and people with the capacity to get pregnant can only freely exercise their sexuality to procreate and reinforces the gender role that imposes motherhood as a compulsory destiny.” This progressive use of rights-based, inclusive language is no happy coincidence – it was the result of years of campaigning from activists around the world to shape a societal narrative that supports abortion rights and bodily autonomy for everyone, everywhere. Our ability to learn, support, mobilize, and celebrate together is one of our movement's greatest strengths.  

Woman waving a green flag in support of abortion care

Mexico’s Supreme Court votes to decriminalize abortion

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) welcomes the unanimous decision taken by the Supreme Court of Mexico to decriminalize abortion. The decision is a step closer for women and pregnant people to fully exercise their reproductive rights and bodily autonomy through safe and legal abortion care.  Abortion is legal in four out of the 32 federal entities in Mexico. Only four other countries in the region - Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, and Guyana have almost unrestricted and legal access to abortion care. Eugenia Lopez Uribe, IPPF’s Regional Director for the Americas and Caribbean said: “This historic ruling by the Supreme Court of Mexico is thanks to the feminist movement in Mexico and in the region, who have been relentless in their fight the law to recognize the dignity and humanity of people seeking abortion care. This decision will continue the Green Wave ripple effect across the region - we look at Argentina last year and now Mexico, these movements give us hope and motivation to continue to fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.” Esperanza Delgado, Strategic Director for Advocacy and Interinstitutional Relations of MEXFAM added: “September 7 will become a memorable date in Mexico. In a progressive pronouncement in favour of reproductive autonomy, respect for the secular State, and the rights of women and pregnant people over those of the embryo, Mexico's highest legal authority indicated that it is unconstitutional to punish those who decide to terminate a pregnancy at its early stage.   “All of us who have joined forces and who are fortunate enough to fight for the recognition of human rights, should be proud and may our achievement inspire others in every corner of the planet. MEXFAM is committed to making this long-awaited legislation a reality for every person that decides to choose.” For media inquiries please contact [email protected] 

Mexfam staff offering services outside the clinic.
14 December 2017

Resilience

Mexfam, IPPF member association in Mexico, continued to provide free healthcare during and after the record-breaking earthquakes in September 2017, despite many members of staff losing their homes and even family members. This is what resilience looks like and we thank those that continue to provide people with vital sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Woman in a clinic
13 December 2017

Resilience and commitment in the aftermath of Mexico's devastating earthquakes

In September 2017, Mexico suffered from a devastating magnitude 7.1 earthquake that left hundreds dead and injured, while crushing buildings and destroying infrastructure. We immediately activated our humanitarian response network which assessed damage, deployed personnel, and made sure our mobile clinics were able to operate and reach local communities with vital healthcare and services. Mexfam, an IPPF member association in Mexico, continued to provide free healthcare during and after the record-breaking earthquakes, despite many members of staff losing their homes and even family members. This is what resilience looks like and we thank those that continue to provide people with vital sexual and reproductive healthcare. Photography © IPPF/Brenda Islas Photos: © IPPF/Brenda Islas 

Photo of ACT!2030 young activists
07 February 2017

ACT!2030

IPPF collaborates with UNAIDS and The PACT to implement ACT!2030 (formerly ACT!2015), a youth-led social action initiative which engages young people in 12 countries with advocacy and accountability around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other SRHR agreements/frameworks. ACT!2030 was initiated in 2013 as a way to increase youth participation in the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, and for two years focused on establishing alliances of youth-led and youth-serving organisations in 12 countries across the world. The project is currently in Phase 4, which runs until the end of 2017, and aims to establish youth-led, data-driven accountability mechanisms to ensure youth engagement with the implementation of the SDGs and build an evidence base for advocacy. Ultimately, Phase 4 of ACT!2030 seeks to identify, assess and address key policy barriers to young people’s sexual and reproductive data by using existing data, supplemented by youth-collected data, to advocate and lobby for policy change. This phase involves four main activities: indicator advocacy (persuading decision makers to adopt youth-friendly SRHR and HIV indicators, including on things like comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and access to youth-friendly services, into national/global reporting mechanisms); evidence gathering (creating national databases on quality of and access to youth-friendly services and CSE); communications (transforming this data and evidence into communications pieces that can be used to advocacy and lobby at national and international level); and global exchange (facilitating global visibility to share advocacy and engagement learnings and increase youth-led accountability in global and regional processes). ACT!2030 is implemented by national alliances of youth organisations in 12 countries: Algeria, Bulgaria, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  

MEXFAM - Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar

We are a civil society organization promoting access to health, education and defence of sexual and reproductive rights, based on an intersectional, human rights, gender and culturally relevant approach. Since 1969 it has been a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

MEXFAM provides the population with informative content, educational and medical services, based on evidence generated through the implementation of applied and participatory research, with a methodology of comprehensive sexuality education and community health.

MEXFAM carries out public policy advocacy actions in favour of justice, defence and promotion of rights.

Mission:

  • MEXFAM is a Mexican civil society organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of the population through the provision of quality sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education with a focus on gender, rights and the construction of citizenship.

Vision:

  • MEXFAM works to make Mexico a country that guarantees the free decision of all people about their sexuality, without violence or discrimination.

Number of clinics/service delivery points:

  • 18 operational centres
  • 9 medical service centres in the country

Average number of clients and services per year (2019 figures):

  • 300,000 Sexual and Reproductive Health services.
  • 9,000 referrals for GBV services
  • Services provided at the clinic
  • Clinical analyses
  • Comprehensive gynaecology
  • Sexual and reproductive health counselling
  • Psychological counselling
  • Conventional and breast ultrasound

 

abortion-rights
21 September 2023

Let the Green Wave wash over Mexico

On September 6, news platforms erupted with the headlines: “Abortion has been decriminalized throughout Mexico,” “Supreme Court decriminalizes abortion at the national level,” “Abortion is legal throughout Mexico.” As we approach September 28, the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe Abortion, these words resonate powerfully. We clarified what we know so far about the precise implications of this monumental development in Mexico in an Instagram reel, but it's crucial to also take this chance to reflect on why celebrating our triumphs is vital to the global movement for sexual and reproductive health, rights and justice.   The Mexican Supreme Court’s landmark decision to declare the criminalization of abortion as unconstitutional comes in the wake of the Green Wave movement that has washed over Latin America in the last few years. Argentina became the first country in the region to legalize abortion in 2020, forming the movement that has paved the way for other countries including Colombia, Bolivia, Chile, and now Mexico, to either fully decriminalize or greatly expand access to abortion. IPPF’s Member Associations including Profamilia in Colombia, Colectivo Rebeldía in Bolivia, APROFA in Chile, and MexFam in Mexico, have been tirelessly defending and promoting the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health and rights, and I am thrilled to celebrate this latest victory for the Green Wave movement in my home country, Mexico.  Seeing the coordinated efforts of these organizations translate into positive Court rulings to provide access to safe abortion services is hugely rewarding. It is also essential to recognize that local efforts are intricately connected to the recognition of our rights on regional and global levels. Take, for example, the public statement from the Mexican Supreme Court: “Criminalization of abortion constitutes an act of gender-based violence and discrimination, as it perpetuates the stereotype that women and people with the capacity to get pregnant can only freely exercise their sexuality to procreate and reinforces the gender role that imposes motherhood as a compulsory destiny.” This progressive use of rights-based, inclusive language is no happy coincidence – it was the result of years of campaigning from activists around the world to shape a societal narrative that supports abortion rights and bodily autonomy for everyone, everywhere. Our ability to learn, support, mobilize, and celebrate together is one of our movement's greatest strengths.  

Woman waving a green flag in support of abortion care

Mexico’s Supreme Court votes to decriminalize abortion

The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) welcomes the unanimous decision taken by the Supreme Court of Mexico to decriminalize abortion. The decision is a step closer for women and pregnant people to fully exercise their reproductive rights and bodily autonomy through safe and legal abortion care.  Abortion is legal in four out of the 32 federal entities in Mexico. Only four other countries in the region - Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, and Guyana have almost unrestricted and legal access to abortion care. Eugenia Lopez Uribe, IPPF’s Regional Director for the Americas and Caribbean said: “This historic ruling by the Supreme Court of Mexico is thanks to the feminist movement in Mexico and in the region, who have been relentless in their fight the law to recognize the dignity and humanity of people seeking abortion care. This decision will continue the Green Wave ripple effect across the region - we look at Argentina last year and now Mexico, these movements give us hope and motivation to continue to fight for sexual and reproductive health and rights for all.” Esperanza Delgado, Strategic Director for Advocacy and Interinstitutional Relations of MEXFAM added: “September 7 will become a memorable date in Mexico. In a progressive pronouncement in favour of reproductive autonomy, respect for the secular State, and the rights of women and pregnant people over those of the embryo, Mexico's highest legal authority indicated that it is unconstitutional to punish those who decide to terminate a pregnancy at its early stage.   “All of us who have joined forces and who are fortunate enough to fight for the recognition of human rights, should be proud and may our achievement inspire others in every corner of the planet. MEXFAM is committed to making this long-awaited legislation a reality for every person that decides to choose.” For media inquiries please contact [email protected] 

Mexfam staff offering services outside the clinic.
14 December 2017

Resilience

Mexfam, IPPF member association in Mexico, continued to provide free healthcare during and after the record-breaking earthquakes in September 2017, despite many members of staff losing their homes and even family members. This is what resilience looks like and we thank those that continue to provide people with vital sexual and reproductive healthcare.

Woman in a clinic
13 December 2017

Resilience and commitment in the aftermath of Mexico's devastating earthquakes

In September 2017, Mexico suffered from a devastating magnitude 7.1 earthquake that left hundreds dead and injured, while crushing buildings and destroying infrastructure. We immediately activated our humanitarian response network which assessed damage, deployed personnel, and made sure our mobile clinics were able to operate and reach local communities with vital healthcare and services. Mexfam, an IPPF member association in Mexico, continued to provide free healthcare during and after the record-breaking earthquakes, despite many members of staff losing their homes and even family members. This is what resilience looks like and we thank those that continue to provide people with vital sexual and reproductive healthcare. Photography © IPPF/Brenda Islas Photos: © IPPF/Brenda Islas 

Photo of ACT!2030 young activists
07 February 2017

ACT!2030

IPPF collaborates with UNAIDS and The PACT to implement ACT!2030 (formerly ACT!2015), a youth-led social action initiative which engages young people in 12 countries with advocacy and accountability around the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other SRHR agreements/frameworks. ACT!2030 was initiated in 2013 as a way to increase youth participation in the negotiations leading up to the adoption of the post-2015 development agenda, and for two years focused on establishing alliances of youth-led and youth-serving organisations in 12 countries across the world. The project is currently in Phase 4, which runs until the end of 2017, and aims to establish youth-led, data-driven accountability mechanisms to ensure youth engagement with the implementation of the SDGs and build an evidence base for advocacy. Ultimately, Phase 4 of ACT!2030 seeks to identify, assess and address key policy barriers to young people’s sexual and reproductive data by using existing data, supplemented by youth-collected data, to advocate and lobby for policy change. This phase involves four main activities: indicator advocacy (persuading decision makers to adopt youth-friendly SRHR and HIV indicators, including on things like comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) and access to youth-friendly services, into national/global reporting mechanisms); evidence gathering (creating national databases on quality of and access to youth-friendly services and CSE); communications (transforming this data and evidence into communications pieces that can be used to advocacy and lobby at national and international level); and global exchange (facilitating global visibility to share advocacy and engagement learnings and increase youth-led accountability in global and regional processes). ACT!2030 is implemented by national alliances of youth organisations in 12 countries: Algeria, Bulgaria, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Mexico, Nigeria, Philippines, South Africa, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.  

MEXFAM - Fundación Mexicana para la Planeación Familiar

We are a civil society organization promoting access to health, education and defence of sexual and reproductive rights, based on an intersectional, human rights, gender and culturally relevant approach. Since 1969 it has been a member of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).

MEXFAM provides the population with informative content, educational and medical services, based on evidence generated through the implementation of applied and participatory research, with a methodology of comprehensive sexuality education and community health.

MEXFAM carries out public policy advocacy actions in favour of justice, defence and promotion of rights.

Mission:

  • MEXFAM is a Mexican civil society organisation dedicated to improving the quality of life of the population through the provision of quality sexual and reproductive health services and comprehensive sexuality education with a focus on gender, rights and the construction of citizenship.

Vision:

  • MEXFAM works to make Mexico a country that guarantees the free decision of all people about their sexuality, without violence or discrimination.

Number of clinics/service delivery points:

  • 18 operational centres
  • 9 medical service centres in the country

Average number of clients and services per year (2019 figures):

  • 300,000 Sexual and Reproductive Health services.
  • 9,000 referrals for GBV services
  • Services provided at the clinic
  • Clinical analyses
  • Comprehensive gynaecology
  • Sexual and reproductive health counselling
  • Psychological counselling
  • Conventional and breast ultrasound