Doble Moral

In the Dominican Republic, abortion is banned without exception, yet common. Through participative portraits and clandestine abortion testimonies from Dominican women, the narrative centers their voices.

Doble Moral (2023–25) is a participatory project about abortion in the Dominican Republic, one of the few countries in the world where it is banned under all circumstances — including rape, incest, or danger to the life of the woman. Women risk up to 2 years in prison for terminating a pregnancy; doctors, up to 20. Yet, abortion remains a widespread, though silenced reality, often at great physical and emotional risk.

This project brings together 40 testimonies and solidary portraits of women who have had an abortion in the DR, across generations and social backgrounds. I’ve collaborated with local associations and support groups, only women. It is essential to show that abortion transcends class, age, and circumstance. It is important to discuss sexual and affective education. It is important to look at black, brown, latina women and give space to their stories (I find the more personal, specific = the more universal, political). 

After a long conversation surrounding their sexual education, affective lives, and abortion story(ies), together with the participant we create portraits and self-portraits, using mirrors and remote triggers. They are in charge of the decisive moment, and to foster a horizontal process, I hand over the release so the image belongs to them from the start. Consent is ongoing at every step, with the option to withdraw after viewing, with choices about anonymity, setting, clothing, and what stays outside the frame. I sometimes insert myself, in an act of solidarity, aware of my own history (I’m born there) and privilege (I studied in the EU), not to dominate the gaze but to stand inside the exchange. 

After three trips across the country, I’ve gathered hours of audio — dozens of voices and stories, full of nuance, pain, strength, and clarity. It’s a small survey overall, but poignant enough that I hope it’ll have an impact in the current political discourse (the penal code is being revised often, and Dominican women fight for the "3 conditions" everytime). This series can help illustrate the desperate necessity for changing the law.

Doble Moral exposes the violence of a legal system that criminalizes care, and the hypocrisy that allows privilege to bypass the law. But it also holds space for courage, resistance, and dignity. Through photography and storytelling, the project calls for visibility — and for the urgent recognition of the right to choose.