AcompañantAs: Here shines the green
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Dates2021 - Ongoing
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Author
- Locations United States, Mexico, El Salvador
In a context of shifting abortion laws in Latin America and the U.S., a new generation supports peers with medical, emotional, and legal care. This project is collectively built with them, reclaiming stories against stigma and criminalization.
In a shifting legislative landscape around abortion decriminalization in Latin America and the United States, a new generation of young women is rising — united by their commitment to accompany others through the abortion process.
In Latin America, they’ve woven a powerful support network, offering free guidance at every stage of the journey. They come from all walks of life — mothers, students, sisters, activists — brought together by one conviction: the right to control one’s own body. Rooted in sisterhood, empathy, emotional care, and solidarity, these abortion doulas are known as Acompañantas.
As reproductive rights come under increasing threat, these support networks have expanded across borders, especially into the U.S. and Central America. Confronted with stigma, misinformation, and repressive policies, they have strengthened their coordination to offer a safe, collective, and autonomous alternative to those seeking to terminate a pregnancy. Though their actions often remain underground, they provide essential medical, emotional, and sometimes legal support — walking alongside those they accompany, in a relationship built on trust, mutual aid, and shared strength.
The Marea Verde (Green Wave) movement from Argentina has ignited a regional awakening around reproductive rights, challenging societal norms and legal frameworks alike. In its wake, transnational collaborations between collectives have grown stronger, reminding girls and women everywhere: you are not alone.
This project was born from those sparks — and follows the journeys of Acompañantas in countries like El Salvador, Colombia, Mexico, and the United States, highlighting the distinct realities they face and the resilience they share. Launched in 2021, this collaborative project invites abortion companions to co-create their stories through visual and
artistic workshops. These spaces nurture connection, agency, and self-representation. Inspired by the aesthetics of street activism, the project explores forms of visual expression where images become acts of resistance, memory, and recognition.
Here, green shines — the color of hope, of a growing movement where women raise their voices and lift each other up.