‘It’s Not A Sexual Health Strategy It’s A Wishlist’: Full Interview Out Now On YouTube
Lovin Malta sat down with former Dutch minister Lilianne Ploumen and pro-choice Maltese gynaecologist Isabel Stabile to discuss everything from the newly announced sexual health strategy to abortion.
Ploumen travelled to Malta in December to present Stabile with the Dutch Embassy’s Human Rights Embassy Tulip Award for her work on sexual and reproductive rights in Malta and the newsroom got to sit down with them on the day of the ceremony.
During the interview, Ploumen shared that she met with Health Minister Jo-Etienne Abela and gave him a copy of ‘My Body’s Fantastic Journey’ – a comprehensive sex-education book written in both Maltese and English, in the hopes that it will be introduced in schools nationwide. They also briefly touched upon topics like abortion, however, she refused to divulge his responses to her progressive views.
Meanwhile, Stabile gave her take on the newly launched sexual health strategy, calling it more of a “wishlist than a strategy”. However, she did applaud the decision to make the emergency contraceptive pill part of the national formulary, meaning it will be disseminated for free from public health clinics. She also shared a little bit of what it’s like to be a pro-choice gynaecologist in a conservative country like Malta, saying it’s increased her client base.
As the founder of SheDecides, Ploumen explained the origins of the organisation. It began as a response to US President Donald Trump’s decision to stop funding global organisations that provide abortion services or merely information on the procedure. This impacted millions of women and girls who are helped by these organisations. So, Ploumen decided to help close this financial gap with the Dutch government, and they called on other governments to join too. By the end, over 80 states joined the initiative and more than €400 million were dedicated to the cause and helped maintain these important services.
Check out the whole interview on Lovin Malta’s YouTube channel or Facebook page.
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