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It was presented yesterday evening by ambassador Djoeke Adimi-Koekkoek following a speech by SRHR expert and former Dutch minister Lilianne Ploumen who described this as a “lifetime achievement award”. The ceremony was attended by a number of activists, ambassadors as well as Maltese politicians. This included Minister within the OPM Carmelo Abela, Social Policy Minister Michael Falzon, former Labour Party CEO and current ambassador to Geneva Randolph Debattista and ADPD leader Sandra Gauci.

Stabile is a gynaecologist, academic and tireless activist in the field of abortion. She is the only openly pro-choice gynaecologist in Malta and her organisation, Doctors for Choice, has helped hundreds of women across the island access abortion services.

The NGO runs an abortion doula service, a family planning advisory, a contraception helpline and a morning after pill prescription service.

Stabile is at the centre of the fight for reproductive rights in Malta, she’s been a vocal critic against the government’s abortion ban and has been a huge reason for the strides within the pro-choice movement on the island.

Having worked directly with pregnant women, Stabile is well aware of the dire need for safe abortions and this is what has kept her so dedicated to the cause.

Her guiding message is that abortions happen irrespective of whether they are legal, in fact, some 500 women in Malta have abortions each year. Criminalisation only creates the space for unsafe and even fatal pregnancy terminations.

While accepting this prize, Stabile explained that “it takes a village make something like this happen” and she subsequently thanked all the activists who work alongside her in ensuring women in Malta can access reproductive healthcare. She specifically pointed out Andrea Dibben, a fellow academic whom Stabile embarked on a study which with revealed that last year, some 500 women in Malta had an abortion. As well as Natalie Psaila Stabile – a co-founder of Doctors for Choice and author of ‘My Body’s Fantastic Journey’ – a sex education book aimed for 10 to 13 year olds written in English and Maltese.

This is the first sex education book in the Maltese language.

This award ceremony came after a day of activities organised by the Dutch embassy including a KSU debate with university students on reproductive rights and an interview with Lovin Malta.

Stay tuned for Lovin Malta’s interview with both Ploumen and Stabile.