www.newsandletters.org
|
|
NEWS & LETTERS, July 2004Peruvian women winWe print below an important communication sent by a Peruvian feminist--Ed. I have the enormous pleasure of informing you all that, finally, the Minister of Health, Dr. Pilar Mazzetti, has made the courageous decision to give the green light to give access to Oral Emergency Contraception (AOE) to the poorest of women in Peru, in spite of all pressures and threats. This decision does away with almost three years of inequality and injustice. In fact, the AOE had been for sale in pharmacies, but was not available to poor women through the Family Planning program of the Ministry of Health. We know that the Ministry's arrangement doesn't come to us by itself. What has already begun is the most integral struggle for sexual and reproductive health that will finally close the dark pages in the history of public health in Peru. Nevertheless, it is necessary to be alert. The opponents of sexual and reproductive health haven't been passive. On the contrary, every one of them poses a threat to turn back the clock by using legal mechanisms such as Constitutional denunciations. As the Board of Vigilance of Sexual and Reproductive Rights, it seems important to us to note that these individuals are not alone. They have the support of the majority of society, of the grassroots organizations, the professional and scientific organizations, and the organizations of civil society. We ask all of you to be attentive to the information we are releasing. Also last month a letter was published by the ex-Ministers of Health and the scientific organizations supporting the politics of sexual and reproductive health, and those of the current Minister of Health. It is important to us that we, as civil society, also show our support. --Susana Chavez, Board of Citizen's Vigilance of Sexual and Reproductive Rights |
|
Home l News & Letters Newspaper l Back issues l News and Letters Committees l Dialogues l Raya Dunayevskaya l Contact us l Search Published by News and Letters Committees |
