Billboard in Times Square denounces abortion ban in the Dominican Republic

New York, NY – A powerful billboard campaign launched in Times Square yesterday, spotlighting the tragic consequences of the Dominican Republic’s total abortion ban. Timed with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the campaign highlights the human rights violations and loss of life faced by Dominican women under one of the world’s most restrictive reproductive laws.

“As I stand with my community, from Santo Domingo to Times Square, I know Dominicans are exhausted, enraged, and heartbroken,” said feminist activist Sergia Galván Ortega, co-founder of Coalición por la Vida y los Derechos de las Mujeres. “Our lives matter, and we’ll keep fighting until our rights are respected.”

The campaign also honors the Mirabal sisters, Dominican heroines whose resistance to oppression is commemorated annually on November 25. Events will take place in Santo Domingo on December 1, raising awareness of ongoing violence against women.

Dominican law, rooted in an 1884 penal code, criminalizes abortion without exception, contributing to high maternal mortality rates and thousands of unsafe abortions annually. Advocates have long fought for “Tres Causales” — exceptions for cases of danger to the mother’s life, non-viable pregnancies, and rape or incest.

Activist efforts have gained momentum, with protests in Santo Domingo, New York, and the Dominican Day Parade. International attention grew following the death of 16-year-old Rosaura Almonte Hernandez, who was denied life-saving treatment due to her pregnancy. Her case is now under review by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights.

The Times Square billboard calls for global solidarity. “The Mirabal sisters’ legacy reminds us that even in tragedy, resistance is possible,” said Galván Ortega. “We honor their fight by continuing our own.”