WINGS Reproductive Healthcare for Every Guatemalan

Each year, the 28th of May is designated as the International Day of Action for Women’s Health.  This year, WINGS teamed up with a variety of organizations working on women’s health issues across Guatemala to demand better public health policies and improved public health services.  More than a dozen organizations participated, including Tierra Viva, the Youth Network for Political Advocacy (Incidejoven), and  the Network of Women for the Construction of Peace (REMUPAZ).  

WINGS’ demands focused on the publication of the implementing regulations of the Law of Universal and Equitable Access to Family Planning Services, passed by the legislature in 2005 and signed into law in 2006.  The publication of the regulations, which makes the law legally enforceable, has been held up for three years due to the opposition of some lawmakers whose signatures were required for the publication to move forward.  

On the 27th of May, Angelina González, WINGS’ Advocates for Youth Program Coordinator, spoke at a press conference to demand publication of the regulations.  “In Guatemala, two women die every day due to complications related to pregnancy and birth.  In the same period, another five women die from cervical or breast cancer.  Furthermore, it is estimated that every year 25,000 pregnancy terminations are carried out under situations that are risky and unsafe for the lives of women.”  The forum generated great interest in the media and was covered on national television later that evening.

The following day, Angelina and Emma Sunderland, one of WINGS’ Program Directors, participated in a march through Guatemala City in commemoration of the International Day of Action, distributing free condoms and information about WINGS to passersby.  They proceeded to the office of the Secretary General of  Guatemala to demand publication of the regulations for the 2006 Family Planning Law.  Following the meeting, WINGS received confirmation that the final lawmaker whose signature was required for publication had withdrawn his opposition, clearing the way for the law to formally enter the books next month.  

The publication of the law is a major step forward for Guatemala, giving every Guatemalan, regardless of age, gender, or ethnic background, the right to access free family planning services through the public health system.  The law also demands that sex education be taught in all public schools as part of the national curriculum.  While the law’s publication is a significant milestone in the campaign for improved reproductive healthcare in Guatemala, many challenges remain which will impede the law’s full enforcement.  Perhaps the most pressing challenge is funding.  While the law incorporates a direct funding mechanism – a tax on alcoholic beverages – to support comprehensive family planning services, in reality, the money is not reaching the programs where it is most needed.  The budget for the Ministry of Health and Public Assistance was recently slashed by 25%, with most of the cuts coming from the National Reproductive Health Program.

Another challenge is that public service providers required to implement the law at a local level, including doctors, nurses, and school teachers, often do not have the skills and knowledge necessary to carry out their responsibilities.  To address this issue, WINGS has been working for the past two years in the area of Chimaltenango to develop local strategies for implementation of the law’s requirements, including trainings for public school teachers and health service providers.  The program, Advocates for Youth, was developed with the aim of identifying and implementing strategies that would later be replicable at a national level.  As a result of this program’s successes, WINGS was recently asked by the Department of Health in Chimaltenango to assist in the development of their strategic health plan for the years 2010 through 2020.  

Much work remains to be done before Guatemala’s government can effectively provide the services necessary to promote and protect the rights of all Guatemalans to reproductive health education and family planning services, but WINGS and its partners will continue to advocate for improved policies and to collaborate with the government to ensure these policies are fully implemented.