WHAT HAPPENED TO BELÉN

How an Argentinian woman became the face of the battle for women’s reproductive health rights.

Belén was a 25-year-old Argentinian woman who was wrongfully imprisoned after she suffered a miscarriage, without her knowing she was pregnant. After being admitted to a hospital in Tucumán that was next to a men’s correctional facility, Belén endured pain in her midsection that soon led to hemorrhaging. Due to strict reproductive health laws in Argentina, Belén’s physician reported her to the authorities for allegedly murdering her unborn child. Her assigned prosecutor charged her with “homicide aggravated by relationship.” She was placed into police custody and, while she recovered, a male nurse brought her a box containing a dead fetus from the bathroom where she had been. “This is your son,” he said. “Look what you did, bitch.” Belén remained behind bars for almost three years. After two failed attempts at clearing Belén’s name, her feminist lawyer, Soledad Deza, turned to social media to rally support. Before long, Belén's story gained international traction from organizations such as Amnesty International. The hashtag that went viral while she was locked up, #NiUnaMenos, “Not One Less,” sparked conversations about women’s health issues, such as abortion, and encouraged women to support each other. When Belén left prison, cameras got a shot of her wearing a white mask to conceal her identity. The mask would become a symbol of Belén’s fight and a symbol of hope to those who have suffered similar atrocities. As this stirring account shows, there are many women like Belén whose names we don’t know, but whose stories are just as important.

An uplifting chronicle of one woman’s fight for justice.