Home page > About EPHA > EPHA Members > EPHA Members News > Abortion: A right for all European (...)

Abortion: A right for all European women

The Swedish Association for Sexuality Education (RFSU), a member of IPPF, organised a public hearing on “ Abortion - Making it a right for all women in the EU ” in the European Parliament.

The event was strongly supported by 17 MEPs representing 12 different member states.

Five women, who committed illegal abortion or were denied the right to abortion, testified at the hearing.

The meeting aimed to bring the legal abortion back on the European agenda where European Union (EU) has a mandate on preserving human rights, gender equality and public health issues. So far EU has considered abortion only a health issue, and health is an area left to the decisions of each member state.

A European Parliament written declaration by MEP Katalin Levai (Hungary) was presented at the hearing, which calls on the European Union and its member states to ensure access to safe and legal abortion in the European Union. The MEP Anne van Lancker (Belgium) concluded that any civilised European country should accept widely the right of abortion.

At present abortion is forbidden in many European countries: Poland, Portugal, Malta, Lithuania, Ireland and Slovakia. Many illegal abortions are undertaken in clandestine clinics without the required hygienic and safety requirements or by the so-called ¨shopping trips¨ to the countries where abortion is legal.

Last modified on October 28 2005.

Your feedback is valuable to us!

Was this article interesting and relevant for you? Do you have any comments?

 You can post a reply to this article here.

2 Forum messages

Our readers have published these comments:

8 November 2005 02:39, by Brito-Lopes (Attorney)

> Abortion: A right for all European women

I am a Portuguesew lawyer and I’ve been fighting for the right to choose. In my country abortion is still a crime BUT with various exceptions - very similar if not identical to the law in Spain. But whereas in Spain the law is loosely applied and women are able to lawfully interrupt pregnancy, in my country the hypocrisy of the medical class prevents even some of the legal abortions, while performing them in private clinics. Of course there are medical exceptions; and I must say that the female population doesn’t make a big effort to change the law: after all they can have abortions for the asking next door, cheaper and with better health conditions! In 1998 less than half the voters bothered to cast the ballot in a national referendum to decriminalize abortion. It tells you something... The government is preparing another referendum this year, but I do not expect much better results. Thank you for your work

Reply to this message

8 November 2005 04:34, by Caroline Scherf, Consultant in Sexual & Reproductive Health

> Abortion: A right for all European women

This much-needed initiative will help to put this important issue back on the agenda. Legal abortions are the exception in Europe - even in GB abortion has been made illegal 150 years ago and procedures performed are allowed only if certain ’exception rules’ apply. Abortions are carried out in all countries, legal or not. There is no evidence that the number of abortions will increase by legalising this procedure. There is plenty of evidence of the reduced risk to the health of women by making abortions legal and available as part of the national health service provisions.

Please continue this initiative and aim for equity in women’s healthcare in Europe

Reply to this message