Malta Is Funding And Supporting An Extremist ‘Anti-Human Rights Agenda,’ Women’s Rights Coalition Warns
A Maltese coalition of NGOs working for reproductive right’s in Malta has expressed its disappointment after the government’s recently donated over €100,000 to an organisation with links to an “extremist network” in Europe.
“Voice for Choice is appalled that the Maltese government has decided to provide €130,000 to an organisation that is against widely accepted human rights. LifeNetwork Malta is affiliated with Agenda Europe, an extremist network that aims to repeal human rights and equality laws, particularly for women, young people, and the LGBTQ+ community,” Voice for Choice said.
“By providing funds to LifeNetwork Malta, the government is supporting an anti-human rights agenda, and this is completely unacceptable.”
Their comments come after the government announced it would be donating €130,000 to Dar Tgħannieqa t’Omm over the next three years.
The home is run by LifeNetwork Malta, and advises pregnant mothers who are thinking of having an abortion to reconsider. The home says it has helped the birth of 24 babies over the last year and a half.
According to a European Parliamentary Forum on Population and Development (EPF) report, LifeNetwork Malta has participated in Agenda Europe summits and is an active member in its “militant” campaign to minimise sexual rights around the world.
Agenda Europe has been called an “extremist” group with ties to the Vatican as well as religious campaigners from the USA with the intent of fighting against increased reproductive rights for women.
“Agenda Europe is against divorce, sex education, contraception, assisted reproductive technology (IVF, abortion, and equality for the LGBTQ+ community,” Voice for Choice pointed out.
When it comes to the pregnancy support services being provided to pregnant Maltese women, Voice for Choice said they “reportedly manipulate and harass women into continuing unwanted pregnancies” and may lead to women being forced into making a choice they didn’t want.
“They also reportedly give false information to women in order to force them to remain pregnant past the legal limit for abortion in other countries,” Voice for Choice continued.
They called out Family Minister Michael Falzon for funding “organisations with extreme anti-human rights and anti-choice agendas” as it “is not the way to provide support to women facing difficulty in pregnancy”.
“It also risks empowering those who wish to roll back the advances in LGBTIQ+ equality and reproductive laws relating to IVF enacted by previous administrations,” they ended.
Abortion remains illegal in Malta, with up to two mothers a week estimated to leave Malta to have an abortion abroad.