Chile's Women Fear Rights Rollback as Anti-Abortion President Takes Office
Women's rights activists in Chile are bracing for a challenging era as the most conservative president since the Pinochet dictatorship prepares to take office this Wednesday. José Antonio Kast, a 60-year-old ultra-Catholic politician, has consistently opposed progressive measures for women's rights throughout his three-decade career, raising fears of significant setbacks in gender equality and reproductive freedoms.
A History of Opposition to Women's Rights
Kast's record is marked by staunch resistance to key social reforms. As a congressman, he voted against the legalisation of divorce in 2004, when Chile was one of the last countries worldwide to adopt this measure. He also vehemently opposed the 2017 law that legalised abortion under limited exceptions, such as rape, risk to the mother's life, or foetal unviability. Since then, Kast has actively pushed for a return to a total abortion ban and advocated for parental consent requirements for the morning-after pill.
His views are deeply rooted in Chile's conservative past. Abortion was permitted for medical reasons from the 1930s until General Augusto Pinochet issued a total ban in 1989 as one of his final decrees. Kast, an unapologetic supporter of Pinochet, upholds many of the regime's antiquated values, including a patriarchal family order that contrasts sharply with modern feminist movements.
Contrast with Regional Progress
Kast's regressive stance stands in stark contrast to the feminist and gay rights advancements across Latin America since the 2010s. Notably, the "green wave" movement has successfully pushed for free abortion rights in countries like Argentina, Colombia, and several Mexican states. In Chile, however, Kast's appointment of 30-year-old evangelical Judith Marín as women and gender equality minister underscores his hardline approach. Marín, an anti-abortion activist, gained notoriety in 2017 for disrupting a senate session on abortion decriminalisation, shouting "return to the lord" as police forcibly ejected her.
Andrea Álvarez Carimoney, an assistant professor in public health at the University of Chile, commented on the situation, stating, "It's very provocative, because this person – whose opinions were once considered marginal – is now going to be the one who holds power." This sentiment reflects widespread concern among activists about the potential impact of Kast's administration on women's rights.
Political Moves and Public Backlash
Kast, a founding member of the Republican party, has seen his party announce plans in 2023 to repeal the current abortion law. Although his presidential campaign focused on immigration and security issues, he has affirmed that his stance on abortion remains unchanged. Álvarez warns that even without the backing to abolish the law entirely, the government could modify the three legal exceptions to restrict access further, complicating procedures for those in need.
Government statistics indicate that around 7,000 legal abortions have occurred since the three-exceptions clause was introduced in 2017. However, studies estimate that more than 100,000 induced abortions take place annually in Chile, highlighting a significant gap between legal and actual practices.
Divisions Within Feminist Movements
The feminist movement in Chile, which brought hundreds of thousands of women to the streets, played a crucial role in a 2022 effort to rewrite the country's Pinochet-era constitution. The proposed draft enshrined abortion as a constitutional right and included equal participation quotas for women in public institutions. However, it was criticised as overly complicated and far-reaching, leading to its emphatic rejection by the public. A second attempt in 2023, led by Kast's Republican party, similarly failed due to explicit partisan bias.
Divisions have also emerged over the performance of the outgoing Boric administration, which labelled itself as "feminist." Some activists criticised the government for delaying the presentation of a free abortion bill, which only entered congress in 2025. Vesna Madariaga, a spokesperson for the Coordinadora Feminista 8M, one of Chile's largest feminist organisations, said, "Boric campaigned on reproductive rights and our autonomy to decide, but introduced the bill too late and without enough momentum to push it through in the parliamentary debate."
Outgoing women and gender minister Antonia Orellana defended the government's actions, citing priorities to improve conditions under the three-exceptions rule and a lack of congressional majority for broader reforms. She noted that public approval for the wider abortion bill reached a record high during their tenure, emphasising the importance of social debate in driving legalisation efforts across Latin America.
Persistent Activism and Hope
Despite these setbacks, the feminist movement remains a powerful force in Chile. The annual International Women's Day march on Sunday drew an estimated 500,000 participants, demonstrating sustained public support for women's rights. Among the groups present was the grassroots abortion network Con las Amigas y En La Casa, which provides vetted information on safe medication use for unwanted pregnancies. With nearly 170,000 Instagram followers, the network has persisted for over a decade despite social media blocks from anti-abortion campaigners.
One member, who requested anonymity, expressed resilience, stating, "Women are having abortions right now, they will be doing it tomorrow, and they will keep doing it – no rightwing government will stop that. Kast is very dangerous, but we know that women in Chile are strong and organised. We are confident we will keep moving forward." This defiance underscores the ongoing struggle for reproductive rights and gender equality in Chile as the new administration takes shape.
