Watch: Dressed in Għonnella, Women Lead Powerful Pro-Choice March In Valletta
Women walked along the streets of Valletta dressed in traditional Maltese clothing, including the għonnella, to protest against “centuries of reproductive control”.
This event was organised by the Voice for Choice coalition and held yesterday, which is the International Day of Action for Women’s Health.
Walking silently, the veiled women carried a “pavaljun” (pavilion) with the quote “noħlom b’ġisem li hu biss tiegħi” (I dream of a body that is mine alone).
The pavaljun was created by Lana Spiteri and included symbols related to feminism, justice, fertility (il-mara l-ħoxna), and the Maltese landscape.
“We wanted to draw attention to the injustice that women, non-binary individuals, and trans men face due to the lack of abortion rights in the country,” Voice for Choice said.
The women’s procession moved without speaking, which they said represented how abortion laws and stigma silence women. The black, historic clothing symbolises the oppressive reality of living in a female body in Malta, they explained.
“There is no other healthcare issue that is so heavily restricted. Our lives do not belong to us, but are governed by laws rooted in the 19th century.”
Activists pointed out that Malta’s abortion laws were introduced when Malta was a British colony. “While Britain has since liberalised their abortion laws, we remain governed by them. It’s time to break free from the shackles of colonialism,” the activists said.
On the International Day of Action for Women’s Health, Voice for Choice called for the decriminalisation and the destigmatisation of abortion in Malta.
“As the sunrays on the pavaljun represent – we will remain resilient and keep moving forward towards our goal of abortion rights for all.”
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