During her visit, Ploumen – founder of SheDecides – met with Abela and discussed a number of things related to reproductive and sexual rights. For one, she explained the Dutch abortion legislation and emphasised the importance of evaluation.

The abortion legislation in the Netherlands is evaluated every few years by an independent panel of experts to see how the law is working in a practical sense. The findings are then discussed in Parliament to further assess the efficacy of the law. There are two important elements to ensure a fair and effective system, she said, having a good legal framework and ensuring accessibility of services.

“So, it’s good to have a strategy and it’s also good to evaluate, that’s what I said to the Minister,” Ploumen said.

The activist refrained from divulging Abela’s response.

Ploumen also gave Abela a copy of ‘My Body’s Fantastic Journey’ – a book written by doctor and D4C co-founder Natalie Psaila Stabile. It’s written in both Maltese and English and serves as a sex-education book aimed at 10 to 13-year-olds. The book has no mention of abortion.

Here, Stabile chimed in and explained while the Department of Education in Malta has a sexual health guideline, the country lacks a national curriculum that all schools – including independent and Church-led – must follow. This book, she said, intends to be of help by being introduced in schools to be read with a guardian or a teacher and help guide conversations.

Stay tuned for the full interview with both Stabile and Ploumen