Articles about Venezuela

Haz click aquí para leer este artículo en español.   The relationship between sexual and reproductive health, care burdens, and gender-based violence forms a structural system that perpetuates inequality and limits women's autonomy in Venezuela. The denial of essential rights, the unequal distribution of care responsibilities, and economic dependence create a fertile ground for violence, preventing women from leaving abusive relationships and limiting their ability to make decisions about their health and lives.  A study by the Venezuelan Association for Alternative Sexual Education (AVESA) reveals alarming data on the connection between access to sexual and reproductive health services and gender-based violence. Among women who have survived violence, 61% have little to no access to sexual and reproductive health services, compared to 43% of women who have not experienced violence. Additionally, 80% of women attend a gynecological consultation only once a year or never, despite 7 out of 10 having faced some gynecological condition. A striking 57% of pregnancies were unplanned, limiting reproductive autonomy and increasing women's dependence on their partners. Moreover, 32% of sexually active women do not use contraceptive methods, even though 87% of them do not wish to have children. In states like Lara, unmet contraceptive needs reach as high as 46%.  The lack of access to sexual and reproductive health services not only restricts women’s ability to exercise control over their bodies and lives but also exposes them to a greater risk of gender-based violence. While 58% of women have suffered some form of gender-based violence, 79% of them do not recognize themselves as survivors, highlighting the normalization of violence in society. Access to sexual and reproductive health information and services is, therefore, a crucial tool for preventing violence and strengthening women's autonomy.  However, the burden of unpaid care work reinforces these patterns of inequality and violence. AVESA’s research in vulnerable communities in Táchira and Zulia shows that women spend between 14 and 16 hours a day on unpaid care tasks, including house cleaning, food preparation, childcare, and caring for sick or elderly family members. Furthermore, 75% of these women also work outside the home, extending their daily workload to 18 hours or more. Economic dependence is also a key factor: 68.5% of married or cohabiting women depend financially on their male partners, while 10% of divorced women still rely on their ex-partners for financial support. This overwhelming burden not only limits women's time and energy to seek help or generate their own income but also reduces their ability to leave violent relationships.  The intersection of health, care, and violence creates a vicious cycle that is difficult to break. Women with less access to gynecological and contraceptive services are 22% more likely to experience gender-based violence. However, those who participate in care-sharing programs and have greater access to comprehensive sexual education report 17% fewer cases of violence in their lives. In communities where care redistribution programs have been implemented, women report significant improvements in their quality of life: more time for self-care, greater participation in economic activities, reduced stress and fatigue, and increased ability to recognize and respond to violence.  To address this issue comprehensively, concrete measures must be implemented to ensure access to sexual and reproductive health services and promote the redistribution of care work. Expanding access to contraception, family planning, and gynecological care is urgent, as is implementing comprehensive sexual education programs in schools and communities. Additionally, public policies that promote shared caregiving responsibilities must be established so that domestic and dependent care work does not fall exclusively on women. Gender-based violence will not be solved solely through protection measures and support for survivors; a structural transformation is essential to guarantee women autonomy over their health, time, and economic security.   

Haz click aquí para leer este artículo en español.   Venezuela: A Mirror of Latin American Reality by Eugenia López Uribe, IPPF ACRO Regional Director   The democratic breakdown in Venezuela, which obviously did not begin this year, reflects the political, economic, environmental and social crises in our region. As is public knowledge, on 28 July, the National Electoral Council (CNE) declared the current president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, elected by majority for his third presidential term. Since the news, the acts of violence and repression with human rights violations have escalated. What is happening today in Venezuela, with the lack of transparency in the electoral process, social protests, violent repression and severe state violations of human rights also affects other countries in the region, regardless of their right or left ideological positions.   Latin America has seen a resurgence of authoritarian leaders who have severely weakened efforts to promote democracy and human rights. Nicaragua, El Salvador, Argentina and, until recently, Brazil, are some examples. There are patterns and dynamics that, in the last decade, we have seen replicated and normalised, such as the influence of anti-democratic political models and social polarisation as a tool to justify extreme and authoritarian measures.  

Haz click aquí para leer este boletín en español.   IPPF expresses our concern about the situation in Venezuela and our total solidarity with its people, who on 28 July received the news from the National Electoral Council (CNE) that the current president, Nicolás Maduro, was elected for a third presidential term. There are serious allegations of a lack of transparency in the process and we join the international community in demanding the publication of the election results, because, as of today, July 31st, the CNE has not shown the results of the election to prove the victory of Nicolás Maduro.    It is worrying that the state security forces have responded with violence and repression since the beginning of the mobilisations, which continue, with hundreds of people arrested and a growing number of deaths. In addition to the current emergency, inequality, gender inequality and lack of access to health services, including sexual and reproductive health, have been on the rise for the past 25 years.    It is impossible to forget: in Venezuela, the number of femicides has doubled in the last 6 years; 28.7% of people of sexual and gender diversity have been victims of violence by state security forces; 91.5% of complaints of violence against women are shelved or dismissed; legislation on abortion is extremely restrictive and services are very limited; in addition, 7.7 million people have been forced to move because of the socio-political context.   With extreme concern, IPPF in the Americas and the Caribbean condemns the Venezuelan government's repression and violence against citizen mobilisations. It is unacceptable that while exercising their right to protest and free expression, Venezuelans are victims of criminalization and physical and political violence.  IPPF ACRO joins the Venezuelan society in their demands for respect of democracy because the will of the people through authentic elections is a right and must be guaranteed by the State.    ‘The situation in Venezuela further exacerbates the escalation of authoritarianism and violence in our region,’ said Alessandra Nilo, Director of External Relations at IPPF ACRO. ‘Democracy is conducive to states that guarantee and advance rights, including sexual and reproductive rights which, we know, in times of high tension and crisis, are the first to be violated. At this difficult time, we demand that the Venezuelan State returns to the democratic path, strengthens its institutions and respects the rights and wishes of its people. It is essential to protect the dignity and hope of all people, especially girls and women in all their diversity.’    ‘IPPF ACRO and Member and Partner Associations in the region are attentive to the development of events, we remain committed to Venezuelan people and their integral wellbeing, and we will continue to provide sexual and reproductive health care and services in Venezuela and, given the projected intensification of the migration wave, also in surrounding countries such as Colombia, Peru and Ecuador.’    Header image credit: REUTERS/Leonardo Fernandez Viloria

The IPPF Americas and Caribbean Team (ACRO), together with representatives of Member Associations from Colombia, Trinidad and Tobago, Peru, and Ecuador met in Bogota in March 2022 for a training on implementation of the Minimum Initial Service Package on Sexual and Reproductive Health in humanitarian settings and on addressing gender-based violence led by the IPPF Humanitarian Team. Nearly 40 participants had the opportunity to update their knowledge and learn about new approaches to implementing humanitarian responses in Sexual and Reproductive Health, as well as share their experiences with the implementation of humanitarian responses in the diverse regional context of the Americas and the Caribbean, with particular emphasis on the Venezuelan migration crisis. During the training week, special relevance was given to the issue of coordinating efforts in humanitarian response with other allied actors as well as among the different IPPF Member Associations in the region because the Venezuelan migration crisis is a regional phenomenon. People from Venezuela, especially women, adolescents, and girls, are forced to leave their country due to the precarious economic situation, political instability, insecurity, lack of basic health care, and in other cases due to threats to their lives. They seek refuge in other countries in the region, with Colombia and Peru being the main destinations.  Migrants, who travel through entire countries to reach their final destination, face enormous difficulties and barriers in accessing health services in general and sexual and reproductive health services in particular, as well as discrimination and stigma. That through the humanitarian response they access programs and services provided by IPPF Member Associations, including STI and HIV diagnosis and treatment services, family planning, safe abortion care, and survivors of gender-based violence. IPPF Global and ACRO humanitarian team visit to key health care points for migrants from Venezuela. The humanitarian team had the opportunity to visit the points where services are being provided as part of the humanitarian response to Venezuelan migration in the cities of Cúcuta and Santander, which allowed them to learn more about the ongoing response in Colombia, a country that as of January 2021 has received more than 1,700,000 migrants from the neighboring country, according to data from Migration Colombia. IPPF's Humanitarian Program contributes to the consolidation of an innovative model for sexual and reproductive health and rights in crisis situations, connecting key elements of humanitarian action with long-term development. We are one of the world's largest providers of sexual and reproductive health services in emergencies. Sexual and reproductive health and rights in crisis The need for women's reproductive health care is not suspended in crises. A quarter of those affected by crises worldwide are women and girls between the ages of 15 and 49. One in five women is likely to be pregnant and one and five of all births will experience complications. In crisis settings, there is also an increased risk of child, early and forced marriages and unions, sexual violence, unsafe abortions, and unassisted childbirth. Transmission rates of STIs, including HIV, also increase in emergencies.   During crises, we work closely with our clinics on the ground to provide life-saving care to people in need. Our mobile health clinics bring comprehensive services to where they are needed by people affected by the crisis.  

IPPF’s Strategic Framework (SF) 2016-2022 commits the organisation to lead a locally-owned globally connected movement that provides and enables services, and champions sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) for all. Increasing numbers of people face crises or live in chronically insecure settings. In recent years we have scaled up the number of sexual and reproductive health services and information provided to people in emergencies from 1.3m in 2013 to 3.2m in 2016, but we can do much more. The goal of this strategy is to improve access to life-saving SRHR for crisis-affected people in all their diversity. As the situation normalises after a crisis, we aim to leave behind stronger MAs sustaining quality services to diverse populations. IPPF’s model for SRHR in crisis connects the key elements of humanitarian action (prevention and preparedness, response, recovery and resilience) with long-term, equitable development.