MEPs Call For Stronger EU Support For Sexual And Reproductive Health Practices Like Abortion
Members of the European Parliament called for the need for stronger EU support for sexual and reproductive health while discussing abortion.
On Thursday, MEPs discussed the situation of the de facto abortion ban in Poland, joined by institutional and civil society representatives.
Most MEPs who took the floor agreed on the need for the EU to take more measures to address the problem, strongly asserting that the right of a woman to choose what happens to her body is inalienable.
In a hearing organised by the Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality and the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs, Barbara Skrobol, shared her testimony on the death of her late sister-in-law Izabela Sajbor.
Sajbor has been identified as the first documented victim of the de facto abortion ban, who died of septic shock when she was 22 months pregnant.
Kamilla Ferenc, Lawyer of the Foundation for Women and Family Planning FEDERA, focused on the reduction of standards of gynecological care in the country.
She stated that in light of this event, doctors are now afraid of undertaking activities that could be classified as abortions.
This view was also shared by Neil Datta, Secretary of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, who expressed his concern about the Polish state contravening WHO guidelines on human rights.
Caroline Hickson, Regional Director of the International Planned Parenthood Federation European Network brought to attention that abortion-rights activists face a number of risks in the country both because of the use of strategic litigations and SLAPPs and because of anonymous death threats.
Nearly all guest speakers tied the problems related to women’s rights in Poland with the overall state of the rule of law, freedom of speech, and civil society.
Some MEPs even asked the Commission to not release more EU funds until Poland has enacted the necessary reforms in the area of EU values.
While Malta has started moving towards loosening its ban on abortion, we still have a long way to go until the fight for choice is over.
Just this week, Health Minister Chris Fearne brought forward legal amendments to the current reproductive law, which will enable doctors to perform abortions if the woman’s health is at risk.
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