Telling Truer Stories
In the Philippines, more than 600,000 abortions happen every year. Every day, around 3 women die due to abortion complications. Yet little do we hear about this from the news or even from the people around us. Abortion is talked about in hushed voices, if at all. And when it is talked about it is usually done so from a position of fear, anger, or ignorance – rarely compassion. Which is why it’s no surprise that when it’s portrayed in mainstream media, we always witness the same kinds of stories – women who end their pregnancies are often portrayed as sad, poor, and disempowered, and the people around them are prejudiced and judgmental, rarely supportive and understanding. These stories do not reflect the realities and truths that women live every day. And such stories only serve to perpetuate the conservative and stigmatizing status quo that ultimately hurts women, leading to their suffering, morbidity, and even death.
In the Philippines, more than 600,000 abortions happen every year. Every day, around 3 women die due to abortion complications.
We’re inviting artists and storytellers to join this yearly anthology for safe and legal abortion in the Philippines. We’ve collected visual art, video, and creative nonfiction throughout the years for the purpose of destigmatizing, demystifying, and decriminalizing abortion in our country.
