Gender, women and development
Católicas por el Derechos a Decidir
CATHOLIC WOMEN FIGHTING THE CHURCH
The Catholic Church is powerful in Bolivia, extremely powerful. Teresa Lanza, coordinator for the feminist Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir, is well aware of this.
Three years ago Católicas por el Derechos a Decidir (CDD) together with other NGOs drew up a bill on sexual and reproductive rights. 'Since the 1970s abortion after rape, or if the mother’s life is in danger, is no longer be punished by law. but in practice women even in those situations
often do not receive what they have a right to,' says Teresa Lanza. The CDD felt that this should change. 'We also wanted laid down in the law that discrimination on the grounds of sexual orientation was illegal.'
'Moreover, we wanted more extensive sex education. Sex education is a necessary first step in tackling the frequent sexual violence within as well as outside marriage. A majority in the parliament voted in favour of the bill. but then the church put the president on the spot: if he signed the bill, the church would no longer support him. This was a serious threat by an institution with a great deal of influence on the state. The president returned the bill to parliament and that is where it has remained.'
An important political project by the Bolivian President Evo Morales, who came to power at the beginning of 2006, was the establishment of an Asamblea Constituyente. Its task was to draw up a new constitution in which the rights of the indigenous peoples were to be recognised. Teresa Lanza: 'Over the past year and a half we have spoken to all the representatives of the Asamblea and have organised a number of conferences. The catholic church was doing exactly the same thing, in close cooperation with the right-wing parties. The only difference was that they had a lot more money and manpower at their disposal.'
And yet the CDD managed to get its most important points included in the draft constitution that was sent to parliament at the end of 2007. The concept constitution now states, for example, that bolivia is a secular state. 'Separation of church and state means that catholicism is no longer the state religion. It also means that the state no longer has to pay the salaries of, among others, bishops and seminarians. In addition, it means that the church is going to have to start paying taxes like everyone else: on its buildings, land and cars.'
Other articles in the concept constitution establish all kinds of human rights and women’s rights. 'In that way we have still managed to include many points from our bill on sexual and reproductive rights,' says Teresa with satisfaction. The fight is not over yet, though. 'This spring there will be a referendum on the constitution. The church has already announced that it will do its utmost to resist our points. In their campaign they have also stated that we don’t have the right to call ourselves catholics because the church had not given us permission to do so.'
'They call us atheists and communists. Sheer nonsense. I am a progressive, a liberal, a feminist and also a catholic. And I will not let them take my catholicism away from me. It is the Church that needs to change. Many women in Bolivia are both catholics and pro choice. The time has come that their voice is heard.'
Type of organisation
Intermediary development organisation
Sector
Gender, Women and Development
Country
Bolivia
Founded
1997
Hivos partner since
2007
MYHIVOS LOGIN
