How Does Médecins du Monde Support These Women?
The healthcare staff at Médecins du Monde, present in the Las Tecas camp, support migrant women preparing to cross the Darién, particularly regarding their sexual and reproductive health.
The medical teams offer various contraceptive methods adapted to the precarious conditions of the migratory journey, as well as emergency contraception, and they also perform voluntary terminations of pregnancy (VTP).
“We don’t know what these women will face during the crossing, so we can make a difference. Of course, there are many things we won’t be able to prevent.” Dr. Camila Carjaval, Medical Supervisor.
Many women crossing the Darién do not have access to these contraceptive methods due to the high cost in their home countries. Due to lack of access to health services, they often discover their pregnancy during tests conducted by our teams.
Being pregnant while traveling this over 100 km migratory route toward North America is extremely violent and grueling. Médecins du Monde respects and supports each woman’s individual choices.
Through medical and mental health consultations, Médecins du Monde carries out prevention activities on gender-based violence.
In 3 months, 3,216 migrant women were able to benefit from Médecins du Monde’s health services in the Darién:
- 473 benefited from sexual and reproductive health services, including access to family planning
- 81 women had an individual mental health consultation, and 695 had group consultations
- 957 benefited from awareness-raising on sexual and reproductive rights and prevention of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation.
A Difficult but Unavoidable Journey
Carolina is from Venezuela and is traveling with a group of 21 people, including 2 children. She is undertaking this migratory journey for her children who remained in the country because there are no longer any economic resources to continue living there.
“What motivates me is my family and my daughter, who are my driving force to move forward, to give them a better future. I have prepared myself psychologically because we hear a lot about the Darién, and now we are getting ready to walk.”
Rosa has two children who stayed in her country with their father. She left to join family members in South Carolina in the United States. She prefers to travel in a group, as it is perceived as safer.
“We are just asking for the possibility to pass through without problems. If we do it, it’s because we truly need to.”
More and more women are crossing the Darién in search of safety and a better life to offer their families, at the expense of their physical and mental health.
Many women leave without being aware of the violence they will endure during their crossing, particularly upon arrival on the Panamanian side.
On the occasion of International Women’s Rights Day, Médecins du Monde calls on the international community not to ignore the sexist and sexual violence suffered by migrant women throughout their journey, denouncing the non-respect of women’s rights in the Darién region.