• Urgent Action

Urgent Action: Legislators Could Pass a Discriminatory Law (Guatemala: UA 163.18)

September 18, 2018

Guatemala’s Congress is at the verge of passing a law to ban abortion, same-sex marriage and inclusive sex education. The bill 5272 “to protect family and life” directly threatens the rights of girls, women, and LGBTI people, their lives and their families.

TAKE ACTION:
  1. Write a letter in your own words or using the sample below as a guide to one or both government officials listed. You can also email, fax, call or Tweet them.
  2. Click here to let us know the actions you took on Urgent Action 163.18. It’s important to report because we share the total number with the officials we are trying to persuade and the people we are trying to help.
The Guatemalan Congress did not discuss Bill 5272 because of the lack of quorum on Wednesday 1 May. However, it could happen again anytime during the following weeks. Email addresses of directors of main political forces in Congress: [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected]  ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] ; [email protected] Twitter handles: @BloqueUNE_OL @MaizUrng @BancadaTODOS @BancadaUcn @BancadaWinaq @FUERZAGUATEMALA @chinchilla_g @EncuentroGuate @anibalrojasgt Dear member of Congress: The Guatemalan Congress is about to discuss Bill 5272, that would harden penalties in cases of abortion and criminalize women even in cases of natural death of the foetus, putting at risk the health and lives of women and girls by denying them lifesaving healthcare. It would also extend the criminalisation of abortion to situations of miscarriage, stillbirth and obstetric complications, and impose prison sentences on anyone who “promotes or facilitates access to abortion”, moving Guatemala backwards in terms of abortion rights. I urge the Guatemalan Congress to vote against Bill 5272 that puts at risks the rights of women, girls and LGBTI people. Instead, I urge the Guatemalan Congress to work on a bill that would guarantee their rights. Yours Sincerely, ADDITIONAL RESOURCES