Surkuna

Surkuna is a feminist advocacy group founded in 2014 to provide legal support to women charged under Ecuador’s abortion-restriction laws and campaigns for women and girls to have access to abortion. 1 The group also provides litigation against public and private health systems, international litigation, research, and building standards that allow for legal and social change with regards to feminism. 2

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At-A-Glance

Type: Organization
Issue Areas: Multi-Issue Advocacy, Abortion Policy
Type:

Community advocacy group

Location:

Quito, Ecuador

Formation:

2014

Founders:

Ana Vera and Verónica Vera

Contents

    History and Background

    Surkuna is an Ecuador-based organization that provides legal support for women prosecuted under the nation’s laws restricting abortion. The organization’s offices are in Quito, the capital of Ecuador. 3 The group was established with three objectives: to conduct research and generate proposals for legal changes, to promote access to abortion, and to defend women charged with abortion-related offenses. 2 Surkuna was initially supposed to research and collect data on abortion-related prosecutions before turning into a litigation and defense organization. 4

    The group says it is committed to creating political training processes and strengthening the skills of young feminists by 2030, with the goal of extending the movement for free, available, and legal abortion in Ecuador. 5

    Surkana director Ana Vera said the fight for reproductive freedom is a global fight. 1 The organization has also focused on international litigation. 2

    Surkuna says it created an information line on abortion for women, “pregnant persons,” health professionals, and those facing criminalization processes. 2

    The group has argued that most lawyers in Ecuador do not want to defend women who had abortions out of fear of stigma. 6 Surkuna says women prosecuted for abortion faced a stigma and were denied access to court proceedings, while their defense lawyers were cast as “monsters.” Further, the organization claims that convicted women were treated worse in prison for abortion crimes.  7

    Surkuna research found that maternal health care was lacking in Ecuador during the COVID-19 pandemic, including a 45 percent decrease in preventive consultations in May 2020 compared to 2019. 7

    Activities

    The United Nations condemned Ecuador and Nicaragua for violating the rights of three girls who had babies at age 13 after being impregnated by sexual assaults. The coalition called Girls, Not Mothers brought the case to the United Nations. The coalition consisted of Surkuna, the Center for Reproductive Rights, Planned Parenthood Global, Women Transforming the World, and the Observatory on Sexual and Reproductive Health of Guatemala, pushed a United Nations panel to make the decision. 8

    In 2021, Ecuador decriminalized abortion for rape victims through a ruling by the country’s high court. Surkuna director Ana Vera praised the decision, and said, “Never again will women be threatened with jail time, preventing them from making decisions about their reproductive life.” 9

    Leadership

    Ana Cristina Vera is the director and co-founder of Surkuna. 10 She is a sociologist and lawyer. 11

    Veronica Vera is the co-founder of Surkuna and a lawyer. 4

    Mayra Tirira is the legal coordinator at Surkuna. 8

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    References

    1. Thornton, Rosie. “The shocking impact of abortion prosecutions in Ecuador.” Economic and Social Research Council. Kings College London. August 16, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://lab.org.uk/wrv-abortion-prosecutions-in-ecuador/
    2. Vera, Ana. “Abortion: Justice means it must be legal.” Journal of Community Systems for Health. March 8, 2026. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://journals.ub.umu.se/index.php/jcsh/article/view/1344/744
    3.  Daniels, Joe Parkin. “Ecuador abortion laws discriminate against minority ethnic women – report.” The Guardian. July 14, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/14/ecuador-abortion-laws-discriminate-against-minority-ethnic-women-report[/note] In 2014, Ana Vera and her sister Veronica Vera, both lawyers, founded Surkana in Ecuador, where abortion is illegal. [note] Carpenter, Zoe. “Ecuador’s crackdown on abortion is putting women in jail.” La Monde Diplomatique. May 15, 2019. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://mondediplo.com/openpage/ecuador-abortion
    4. Carpenter, Zoe. “Ecuador’s crackdown on abortion is putting women in jail.” La Monde Diplomatique. May 15, 2019. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://mondediplo.com/openpage/ecuador-abortion
    5. “Strengthen the feminist movement for the decriminalization of abortion in Ecuador.” Nairobi Summit Commitments. May 3, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.nairobisummiticpd.org/commitment/strengthen-feminist-movement-decriminalization-abortion-ecuador
    6. [1] Carpenter, Zoe. “Ecuador’s crackdown on abortion is putting women in jail.” La Monde Diplomatique. May 15, 2019. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://mondediplo.com/openpage/ecuador-abortion
    7. “Why Do They Want to Make Me Suffer Again?” Human Rights Watch. July 14, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/07/14/why-do-they-want-make-me-suffer-again/impact-abortion-prosecutions-ecuador
    8. Ampudia, Mariana Hernandez. “U.N. Landmark Ruling Condemns Ecuador and Nicaragua for Forcing Girls Into Motherhood.” Ms. Magazine. January 31, 2025. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://msmagazine.com/2025/01/31/united-nations-ecuador-nicaragua-forced-motherhood-girls-abortion/
    9. Ricci, Vincent. “Ecuador abortion rights victory hailed as latest in ‘tidal wave’.” Al Jazeera. May 7, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/5/7/ecuador-abortion-rights-victory-hailed-as-latest-in-tidal-wave
    10. Daniels, Joe Parkin. “Ecuador abortion laws discriminate against minority ethnic women – report.” The Guardian. July 14, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/14/ecuador-abortion-laws-discriminate-against-minority-ethnic-women-report
    11. [1] Kelly, Mary Louse; Jarenwattananon, Patrick; and Tapia, Adriana. “Ecuador Decriminalized Abortion In Rape Cases — What That Means For South America.” All Things Considered. NPR. May 20, 2021. Accessed April 19, 2026. https://www.npr.org/2021/05/20/998709225/ecuador-decriminalized-abortion-in-rape-cases-what-that-means-for-south-america