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The Struggle for Women’s Rights in El Salvador: The Case of Beatriz and the Path Ahead 

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El Salvador has some of the strictest abortion laws in the world, forcing women to risk their lives and futures. A prominent example is the case of Beatriz, a young woman denied an abortion despite life-threatening complications. Now, following a historic ruling by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, there is renewed hope for change. Together with local partners, IM is fighting for a future where women’s lives and rights are respected. 

El Salvador’s strict abortion legislation is among the harshest globally. Abortion is completely banned, even in cases of rape, incest, severe fetal abnormalities, or when the mother’s life is at risk. Women suspected of undergoing abortions face lengthy prison sentences, and miscarriages or other pregnancy complications are sometimes mistakenly classified as murder. 

One of the most high-profile cases is that of Beatriz, a young woman suffering from lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. In 2013, she became pregnant with a fetus diagnosed with anencephaly, a severe fetal abnormality where the fetus lacks critical parts of the brain and cannot survive outside the womb. Doctors recommended an abortion to protect Beatriz’s health, but the legal process to determine if the state would allow an exception to the abortion took too long and Beatriz had to take a decision. She underwent a cesarean section at 26 weeks of pregnancy. The fetus died shortly afterward and she was then accused for having had to take the hard decision to loose the baby in order to get a chance to survive herself. Beatriz’s health severely deteriorated after the delivery and in 2017 she died following a traffic accident on her way to a medical check-up. However, her story became a pivotal moment in the fight for justice. 

In December 2024, the Inter-American Court of Human Rights ruled that El Salvador had violated Beatriz’s rights. The court condemned the Salvadoran State for engaging in obstetric violence and violating the right to health of Beatriz and criticized the lack of adequate protocols for managing high-risk pregnancies. The ruling mandated El Salvador to compensate Beatriz’s family and implement reforms to prevent similar cases in the future. Although the ruling does not mention the denial of the right to abortion, it is the first time that the Inter-American Court of Human Rights has issued a decision on a case of this nature in Latin America and sets a precedent for countries that have signed the American Convention on Human Rights. 

IM’s Work for Change 
Together with local partner organizations such as Colectiva Feminista para el Desarrollo Local and Agrupación Ciudadana por la Despenalización del Aborto, IM works to strengthen women’s rights in El Salvador. Through long-term advocacy, they have supported the process that led to the historic ruling in Beatriz’s case. 

IM’s work focuses on: 

  • Continuing to pressure policymakers to reform restrictive abortion laws. 
  • Empowering women’s movements and their capacity to drive change. 
  • Creating a future where women are not forced to risk their lives due to legal and political barriers. 

Although the ruling in Beatriz’s case marks an important victory, the road to justice for women´s rights in Central America is long. With continued support from civil society and international actors, IM and its partners aim to create lasting change for women in El Salvador and beyond. 

Photo: Colectiva Feminista

By: Malin Kihlström