Human Rights Watch (HRW) has brought attention to significant gaps in the support systems for girls facing forced pregnancies in Guatemala, many resulting from sexual violence. In a comprehensive 85-page report, HRW criticizes the Guatemalan government for not fulfilling its obligations to these young victims, highlighting several areas including the lack of access to abortion, healthcare, education, financial support, and justice.
Key findings from the report show that abortion in Guatemala remains largely inaccessible due to legal restrictions. The Guatemalan Penal Code criminalizes abortion, making exceptions only when the mother’s life is at immediate risk, a circumstance rare enough to leave most young girls without options for termination of pregnancy. This legal backdrop starkly contrasts with the expectations set forth by international treaties such as the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW), which Guatemala is obligated to uphold.
The HRW report stresses that survivors face not only hurdles in accessing abortion but also difficulties obtaining basic health care services, including access to emergency contraception, prenatal, birth, and postnatal care. Barriers within the justice system further hinder support for these girls, as it often lacks resources and fails to prioritize or expediently process cases of sexual violence.
Notably, while HRW conducted discussions with representatives from civil society organizations, government officials, and professionals such as healthcare workers and lawyers, they chose not to interview the girls directly to prevent re-traumatization. An inconsistency in case data is a result of insufficiently allocated resources for data collection regarding sexual violence and forced pregnancies among girls.
Underlining the report’s concerns is the reminder of Guatemala’s commitment under international law to ensure equitable access to health care, including reproductive services—a position clearly supported by the CEDAW Committee’s General Recommendation No. 24. This highlights the dissonance between Guatemala’s commitments and the lived realities faced by young survivors of forced pregnancies.
For further details, please consult the full report and additional coverage available from JURIST.