Te Acompaño, a Confidential Digital Companion for Migrant Women in Need of Reproductive Health Support

In her poem “Home”, Warsan Shire writes that “no one leaves home unless home is the mouth of a shark”. And no one knows this better than Elizabeth, who fled from her home in Honduras because of her violent father.

The mother of two knew that leaving was her only option.

“My family and I left home because we were experiencing all types of abuse from our own father. When my daughter was born, I said: enough, this is not possible. I will not allow my daughter and son to go through the same thing that I have experienced because they are children who are just starting their lives,” she explains.

The Harsh Reality of Migration and Vulnerability

Elizabeth represents the millions of migrants who flee their homes from Latin America and the Caribbean every year. Violence from family members, gangs, climate change, and economical constraints are some of the major reasons for migration.

According to the Inter-American Dialogue, each year five million migrants– nearly half of them women – undertake this perilous journey. Adolescents, women, and girls make up this population. Unfortunately, they face sexual violence, gender-based violence and institutional violence upon arrival or transit through Mexico, where xenophobia is also rife.

“We face men who want to abuse us, men who treat us poorly, who want to beat us just because we are women, because they see us as sexual objects,” says Elizabeth.

This vulnerable group is at risk of unintended pregnancies and other sexual health challenges. This risk, together with the lack of knowledge about their rights and how to access services, makes them extremely vulnerable.

Innovative Solutions Supporting Women Through Technology

To address these challenges, Ipas Latin America and the Caribbean (Ipas LAC) partnered with federal, state, and local organizations and institutions in Mexico to create Te Acompaño, a chatbot for sexual violence and safe abortion for migrants. It is the first Spanish-language chatbot aimed at the migrant population that offers information about sexual violence, access to abortion, and community support.

Te Acompaño was built using the women-centered design methodology, gathering the interests, inputs, and information from the population and its needs.

“If we want to know about sexual and reproductive health, we can do so, in a safe manner, where we can feel reassured and won’t be exposed,” says Elizabeth.

Among other features, it provides information about sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services, abortion support groups, and facilitates connections with civil society organizations supporting access to SRHR. Additionally, it involves the participation of local organizations, shelters, refugees, and governmental institutions defending migrants, which contribute to its dissemination and expansion. This tool addresses the SRHR needs of migrants and respects the multiple paths individuals take to access abortion. It allows for continuous conversation about abortion 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and offers the option to access information completely anonymously.

A Beacon of Hope Transforming Lives

“I feel very reassured and heard when I use Te Acompaño. It reassures us that, as women, we’re free and fully entitled to choose what to do with our own bodies and to feel protected. The tools also are useful for having a safe abortion and making sure that our health is not at risk,” explains Elizabeth.

Since its launch, Te Acompaño has recorded over 8,545 interactions, providing crucial support to migrant women, healthcare professionals, and individuals from several countries, including Mexico, the United States, Guatemala, Argentina, Ecuador, Brazil, and Canada. The most frequently accessed resources include information on misoprostol sales points, organizations that provide support and guidance for safe abortions, public services for addressing violence, and sites for migration regularization.

María Teresa Hernández Bocanegra, the Secretary of Health of the State in Mexico, says the chatbot has enabled migrant women to know what to do and where to go in case of rape, where they can go to find abortion services.

“I think it is especially useful because along the way they also share this information with those who are in other countries. And what I heard in a talk that a woman from Ecuador was saying, no, this is not legalized in my country, but you are now in Mexico, safe abortion in Mexico is legal and these are your rights, right?” says Bocanegra.

“It is a very good, user-friendly automatized tool, where they listen to you and where you are free to express yourself, and they will provide you with the care that you require and deserve at that time,” adds Elizabeth.

Te Acompaño has supported Elizabeth to make better reproductive care choices for herself and family.

“I do not want my children or my sister to repeat my story, and I know that one day I will feel proud for having rescued them. We are women and not slaves to pain. That is my motto, that we can move forward after so many difficulties,” Elizabeth concludes.

Learn more about Ipas Mexico here.

This story is shared by Ipas Mexico.

Names of individuals in the story have been changed to protect their privacy.