What Countries With The Strictest Abortion Laws Have In Common (Hint: It Includes Malta)
Abortion is on the cards at the House of Representatives in Valletta today, as MPs prepare to vote for the historic Bill No. 28, which will allow pregnancy termination when a woman is at risk of dying.
Until then, Malta has some of the strictest abortion laws on the planet.
Here are the other three countries in the world that ban the procedure in all circumstances.
1. El Salvador
Across the Pacific Ocean, there’s El Salvador. There, abortion is completely banned, even in cases of rape, incest and when the mother’s life is at risk. Women who get abortions and medical professionals who provide them face severe life-changing penalties including but not limited to imprisonment.
This is also how the law, without the passing of Bill. 28, stands in Malta.
2. Nicaragua
Another Central American country is Nicaragua, where abortion is illegal in all circumstances, even when the mother’s life is at risk. The law provides no exceptions.
These strict abortion laws in Nicaragua have led to unsafe abortions being carried out in secret often without the help of medical professionals, sometimes resulting in maternal deaths or severe health complications.
3. Vatican City
Closer to Malta is the Vatican City.
The Catholic capital banned abortion in all circumstances. As the spiritual and administrative headquarters of the Roman Catholic Church, it echoes the teachings of the Catholic Church, which strictly opposes abortion. However, due to the small and unique nature of Vatican City, the societal impact is limited compared to larger countries.
Map showing Central America.
What do all these countries have in common besides strict abortion laws?
1. Strong religious influence
Like Malta, each of these countries has a strong religious influence, particularly from the Catholic Church. Religion, plays a central role in shaping societal and moral values including on abortion.
2. Conservative societal norms
These four also boast conservative values and traditional gender roles, which link to the adherence of strict abortion laws and limited reproductive rights for women.
3. Limited access to comprehensive sex education
They also tend to lack comprehensive and evidence-based sex education. Malta’s own sexual health policy has not been updated since 2010 under a different administration, and abstinence is still on the national curriculum.
The absence of solid sex education can lead to a lack of awareness about reproductive health, rights and decision-making about contraception. All together it can lead to higher rates of unintended pregnancies and limited understanding of safe abortion options.
4. Societal stigmas
Stigma from those around people seeking abortion can deter them from seeking safe and legal options, especially in these countries where it is banned. surrounding abortion in these countries.
5. Conservative political landscapes
Political landscapes in these countries largely lean towards conservative ideologies, which often resist expanding reproductive rights.
In Malta, conservatives lobbied to amend Bill. 28 to be a watered-down version of its original state. Now, if the bill passes into law, it can contribute to the enactment and maintenance of strict abortion laws.
Are you proud that Malta is on this list?
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