In Hungary, a woman who wants to terminate a pregnancy is obliged to feel the heartbeat of the fetus before making any decision. In Poland, unless her life is in danger or she has been sexually assaulted, she is denied the right outright. And in Malta, it is only allowed in cases where the mother’s life is at risk, with no exceptions, even in cases of rape.
Despite the fact that the latest reform of the sexual and reproductive rights law in Spain allows free abortion up to week 14, many women still encounter obstacles to abortion and are forced to move to other communities or even , in other countries, such as France.
In total, more than 20 million women do not have access to abortion in the European Union. For this reason, twenty-seven feminist organizations have joined together to obtain at least one million signatures needed to support the citizens’ initiative “My voice, my choice” (“My voice, my decision”). , a proposal that aims to shield the right to a safe, free and accessible abortion throughout the EU. Any citizen of the Union can support the initiative before the European elections. The goal is to avoid cases like the one in the US, where each state regulates abortion after the Supreme Court overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling in 2022.
The objective is to guarantee the creation of a fund at the charge of the Commission that provides financial assistance to people who cannot have an abortion due to economic or political reasons, or due to the administrative situation.
The activist Kika Fumero, coordinator of “My voice, my decision” and former director of the Canary Institute of Equality, highlights five types of situations in which this fund will favor women’s reproductive autonomy. First, countries such as Poland or Malta, where voluntary termination is restricted or prohibited. Secondly, in countries where abortion is legal, but not free, like Austria and Germany. A third assumption would be in countries like Italy, which, despite being legal, women face barriers to access it. The campaign also focuses on women from vulnerable communities across the EU. Alice Coffin, coordinator of “Ma voix, mon choix” in France and member of the Paris Council, remembers that “many women are raped during the migratory movement”.
Finally, it aims to shield access to women at a more advanced stage of pregnancy than is allowed in their country, since each State has its own deadline, which varies from 10 weeks to 24.
France achieved a historic milestone on March 4 by guaranteeing abortion in its Constitution, making it very difficult for a Government to declare it illegal in the future. “The night Congress voted, a giant screen was installed in front of the Eiffel Tower. It is very important to show that feminists also achieve victories, especially at a time when the advance of the extreme right is predicted”, expresses Coffin.
“My voice, my decision” tries to deal with the advance of parties such as National Reunification (RN), in France; Alternative for Germany (AfD), and Brothers of Italy, among others, who firmly oppose reproductive rights.
“The rise to power of Meloniha allowed anti-abortionists to have access to clinics where the interruption is carried out, to finance the aforementioned groups with public money or to feel the heartbeat of the fetus”, explains Fumero. Apart from these hurdles, more than 60% of gynecologists are conscientious objectors.
Despite the fact that there is a “very good” law in Spain, there are still barriers to access. In 2022 Aragon, Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha, Extremadura and Murcia reported no interruptions from hospitals. In fact, only 17% of abortions were carried out in public facilities.
On the other hand, the Constitutional Court of Poland declared abortion illegal in 2020, except in two situations: when the mother’s life is in danger or she has been the victim of rape. The ruling eliminated the possibility of terminating the pregnancy even in cases of fetal malformation. 90% of the 1,000 annual abortions in the country were done for this reason.
“These laws make it difficult for women to find support, and fear makes them avoid involving their close circle in the process,” say Zofia Rozanska and Anna Palucha, activists from the organization Wschod. “Professionals are afraid to interrupt pregnancies and abuse conscientious objection. The indifference and lack of concern for the lives of patients has caused the death of many women”.
“The initiative does not only involve gathering support, but is a strategic move so that reproductive rights are a priority on the political agenda of the next European Parliament and Commission”, explains Nika Kovac, promoter of the movement and director of the 8 March Institute from Slovenia. If the initiative reaches the million signatures, the Commission has up to six months to respond.
