Marie Stopes Mexico City celebrates first anniversary with a big splash
Mexico City - Marie Stopes Mexico City (MS Mexico-DF) held its 1st anniversary ceremony in June. The event attracted many luminaries of the SRH world, including
representatives from the Ministry of Health, and leading NGOs. Over a dozen representatives of the national press also attended.
Speakers at the event included Dr Armando Ahued, Director of the Ministry of Health in Mexico City; political and social analyst and well-known author Denise Dresser; as well as MSI’s CEO Dana Hovig.
The speech from the Ministry of Health was particularly groundbreaking as it represented the first time an official government spokesperson had spoken publicly in support of the safe and legal abortion services MS Mexico-DF provides. Dr Ahued recognised the programme as the Ministry’s partner in the provision of safe abortion to the women of Mexico City.
Dana Hovig thanked the City on behalf of MSI: “I applaud the bravery and humanity of the legislators of Mexico City in recognising the fundamental importance of safe abortion to the lives and wellbeing of its female citizens.”
Denise Dresser gave a poignant and heartfelt speech about the desperate need for women in the rest of the country to have access to the same safe and legal abortion care that women in Mexico City are now able to access, thanks to the decriminalisation of abortion up to 12 weeks.
The liberalisation of the law only applies to the State of Mexico City, and since liberalisation there been a conservative backlash in other parts of the country. Thirteen states are now taking more conservative measures towards restricting women’s SRH and rights.
The need for MSI’s good work is clear. In Mexico, complications from unsafe abortions are the fifth highest cause of maternal mortality. An estimated 875,000 abortions take place each year in Mexico, which means that approximately 33 out of every 1000 women between 15 and 44 will have an abortion annually, the majority of them unsafe.
MS Mexico-DF, with three clinics, two of which are in low-income areas, has provided nearly 1,200 safe abortions in its first year. The event generated fantastic media coverage. There was coverage by a local TV station, six national radio stations and three local radio stations. Seven news articles also appeared, including a story in leading national newspaper El Milenio.
All of this publicity will help ensure that more women are aware of the services and help offered by MS Mexico-DF.