Belgium (Brussels Morning Newspaper), Today, the European Parliament voted in favor of including the right to abortion in the Charter of Fundamental Rights. This development is a step forward for women’s rights, but they are still under siege from conservatives and populists. Even in Belgium, where abortion rights are progressive, this right is not a guarantee for our future. It is therefore essential that we continue to strive throughout Europe to maintain and strengthen these rights.
Not a distant concern
Despite research showing that at least 75 percent of the population in all European countries supports legal and accessible abortion, the right of women to abortion in Europe is under pressure. This stems from unnecessarily complicated application procedures, social attitudes from a religious perspective, and, most notably, political opposition from conservative and populist right-wing parties.
In the United States, this issue has played a significant role since the landmark decision “Roe vs. Wade,” which guaranteed the right to abortion, was overturned. The consequences of this became clear when two days ago in the reinstatement of a 1864 abortion law in Arizona, which bans abortion in almost all cases. Women’s rights have thus been reduced to a law predating the abolition of slavery. Similarly, in Mississippi, a 13-year-old girl was forced to give birth to the child of her rapist. But even within Europe, the bodily freedom and liberal rights of women are threatened. Several European member states, such as Malta, Poland, and Hungary, still have restrictive abortion laws, endangering access to safe and legal procedures.
Attack from conservative and religious quarters
In this manner, we see conservative and authoritarian groups and leaders in Europe attempting to oppose established liberal rights, such as abortion rights. We saw this in Hungary in 2022, where additional restrictions were introduced for access to abortion, including mandatory listening to the fetus’s heartbeat. As if the decision to have an abortion wasn’t already difficult enough. Italy, a country that legalized abortion in 1978, has voted for a party led by abortion critic Giorgia Meloni, who supported anti-gender initiatives among other things. She ensured that only the biological parents are listed on the birth certificate, officially considering children of LGBTQI+ couples as orphans. Additionally, she banned surrogacy, making it more difficult for LGBTQI+ couples to start a family.
Legalisation doesn’t always equal freedom
Unfortunately, more progressive abortion rights in other European member states do not always reflect how accessible abortion is in practice. Despite legal protection, women seeking abortions often face persistent stigmatization and discrimination, deterring them from accessing necessary healthcare. In several countries, there is a limited availability of abortion facilities, exacerbated by poverty and geographical isolation, forcing some women to resort to unsafe procedures.
Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine demonstrated this when Ukrainian refugees who were victims of rape by Russian soldiers were denied access to abortion in Poland, while abortion is in fact legal in Poland in cases of rape. On paper, at least. The problem is the near impossibility of proving rape in a war zone. The only options left for these refugees are to keep the child or opt for an unsafe and illegal abortion. No one should experience this in a free and liberal Europe.
Not in my European Union!
While Belgium may have progressive abortion rights, this is far from a guarantee for our future. I too often hear even women from conservative groups intervene in debates, who question women’s bodily autonomy. It is time to guarantee women’s rights and fight for a liberal Europe where women are free to make decisions about their own bodies and lives. France has taken the first step by enshrining abortion rights in its constitution.
Now, all Europe needs to do is follow suit. That’s why we have once again called the European Parliament to include the right to abortion for all women in the European Charter of Fundamental Rights. Citizens must be able to appeal directly to the Charter so that the right to abortion can be enforced throughout the Union. Only then can we stand up to conservative forces seeking to limit women’s liberal rights?
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