An art display has been erected near Triton Fountain in Valletta depicting the reality of unsafe abortions in Malta.

The display, a collaborative effort between artist Emma Grima and youth movement group Young Progressive Beings, intends to shed light on the topic of abortion, which is still illegal in Malta to this very day. 

“The total criminalisation of abortion is discriminatory as it is cruel and it continues to cause unnecessary suffering in Malta,” a member of the Women’s Right Foundation said at the unveiling of the project.

One of the displays depicts black and white portraits of men and women with the writing ‘we will not be silenced by stigma’ plastered on top in red.

Another display shows members of Young Progressive Beings and the Women’s Right Foundation standing on a bay on the outskirts of Valletta. Each individual holds a coat hanger in the air which is representative of one of the many unsafe and gruesome ways women carry out abortions illegally. 

In highlighting the harsh realities of those seeking illegal abortions in Malta, the project aims to incite policy change. 

Malta is one of the last countries on the planet with a blanket ban on abortion.

Earlier this year, MP Marlene Farrugia presented a bill calling for the decriminalisation of abortion, emphasising that the bill must ensure that no one is criminalised for health-related choices, including members of the medical profession.

Like Farrugia, the Young Progressive Beings are also calling for the decriminalisation of the act as a first step to ensuring the health and safety of women health in the future.

What do you make of this? Let us know below