“Talking about abortion is a huge challenge,” says Bashe Nuhem. She’s a feminist activist, radio presenter and video producer, and a member of the Qom indigenous community in Castelli, an area in north-east Argentina known as “the doorway to the Impenetrable”, an extensive and once dense forest.
“I work in an indigenous radio station and, with my colleagues, weave words together. We challenge men who don't want us to talk [about abortion]. It remains a taboo,” Nuhem explains. We spoke as the lower chamber debated a new bill to legalise the “voluntary interruption of pregnancy” up to the 14th week in Argentina. Having passed the lower body of parliament in early December, the bill is now before the senate.
Abortion is currently criminalised in Argentina, with some exceptions in cases of rape or if the life or health of the pregnant person is at risk. Nuhem, who is also a member of the community groups, Chaco’s Female Communicators Front and the Indigenous Community Communication Association, said: "I celebrate the debate regardless of the result, because this topic was not mentioned before in our communities.”
