Various groups and associations have promoted the creation of a Popular Legislative Initiative (ILP) in each Spanish autonomous community.
Through citizen participation the creation of a law is sought so that public administrations offer solutions to pregnant women who are in a situation of conflict or social helplessness.
Under the RedMadre program, the Spanish Family Forum has started collecting signatures in all the autonomous communities under the motto "Your signature is life."
Obviously, as the motto suggests, what he intends is that protection alternatives to women be created to avoid abortion in the face of an unexpected pregnancy.
The process is quite advanced in some communities, while in others such as in Catalonia or Castilla-La Mancha, signatures are still collected. So far, more than 314,000 signatures have been collected.
It is impossible to deny that many women who opt for abortion do so because they have felt pressured to do so, because they have not had the freedom to choose freely. Those are the cases in which it is essential that there is a social containment network.
The objective of the measure is that women who are facing a situation of helplessness (battered women, without resources, adolescents, immigrants, etc.) can count on a support network, with centers where they can find legal, psychological and economic help that allows them to move forward with their pregnancy.
I believe that these types of measures are essential to reduce the number of abortions and to start generating a change of consciousness that supports respect for life.
Next, I transcribe the objectives proposed by the ILPs:
- That every woman be advised on how to overcome any conflict that may arise during pregnancy.
- Promote and support assistance centers from each Autonomous Community.
- Promote the priority of pregnant women in access to benefits and assistance.
- Special attention to pregnant adolescents: maternity education, psychological support, singular attendance at school, etc.
- Achieve the granting, by the Autonomous Governments, of subsidies and agreements to the centers that advise and help the pregnant woman.
- Ensure the duty of information centers to maintain due confidentiality.
- Ensure that healthcare and health centers in the Autonomous Community report the existence of a support network for pregnant women.
- Get the Government of the Autonomous Community to prepare a Comprehensive Plan to support pregnant women within six months.
- Promote that the regional government disseminate a free telephone and a web page that allows any pregnant woman to connect to the support network.
- Involve municipalities in the dissemination of the support network.
