A number of NGOs have said that the introduction of the legal amendments which would allow an abortion to take place if the mother’s life or health is in grave danger are the “least that can be done” and that a broader discussion on sexual and reproductive rights in the country must follow. 

Parliament is set to debate an amendment to the criminal code which would allow an abortion to take place if the prospective mother’s life or health is in danger on Monday.  The motion has come under fire, with the Nationalist Party and several pro-life NGOs and academics stating that it is introducing abortion through the back door.

“Every pregnancy carries a certain degree of risk to the woman’s health and life, with some incurring a more serious risk than others. It is every woman’s prerogative to choose how much risk she is willing to take to carry a pregnancy to term. This must be supported by consultation with doctors of her choice who provide impartial and factual information,” the NGOs said in their statement. 

The NGOs said that recent events have seen at least two women deprived of essential obstetric healthcare and had to be airlifted out of Malta for a medical procedure. From a technical aspect this could have easily been provided locally but doctors were unable to do so because of the law, they said. 

“Many women have also shared their pregnancies stories, explaining how they were maimed, temporarily or permanently injured, made infertile, rendered disabled and/or left living a life of chronic pain, and being psychologically scarred for life. These cases are often hidden as they are not traced in any official figures or records,” they added. 

“The introduction of the proposed amendment on abortion into our laws is the least that can be done in order to better protect the health and lives of women and girls on this island. Opposing the proposed law altogether or further diluting what is already a bare minimum is to put women’s lives, health and general wellbeing at higher risk,” the statement continued. 

The NGOs noted that a lot has been said about the latest femicide case, and said that it is pertinent to point out that the European Institute for Gender Equality regards any death of a woman secondary to denial of reproductive healthcare as a state sponsored femicide. 

“The proposed amendment should be introduced without any further delay, but a broader discussion on sexual and reproductive rights in Malta needs to follow,” they added. 

They urged everyone involved and every MP who has the wellbeing of Malta’s women and girls close to their heart to support the change in the law.

The statement was signed by aditus; Academics for Choice; Doctors for Choice (Malta); integra Foundation; Moviment Graffitti; Young Progressive Beings; Women’s Rights Foundation; Men Against Violence; Malta Humanist Association; Students for Choice; Parents for Choice; MGRM; Women for Women Foundation; and Mediating Women, Balancing the Media.