Voice for Choice is the first Maltese pro-choice coalition made up of civil society organisations and individuals who together want to campaign for reproductive rights and justice in Malta. We are grassroot organisations that represent various sectors of our society, as well as individuals that are passionate about reproductive health and rights.
Abortion continues to remain criminalised in Malta in all circumstances. We know that the reality is that women in Malta are still seeking and having abortions. However, this comes at both a financial and a social cost, as well as at the cost of their physical and mental health, as these women continue to live in fear, stigma and shame in our society.
In the last decades Malta has made great strides to be a more inclusive society. It is therefore time that the laws related to abortion follow suit so as to reflect the reality of people’s lives. We are here to ensure that all pregnant persons, irrespective of their gender, ethnicity, beliefs or age are supported, respected and protected whatever their choices.
Voice for Choice today launches its campaign to:
- strive for a society based on equal respect and justice free from discrimination for all genders and minority groups;
- ensure that barriers in accessing sexual and reproductive health and rights are removed;
- promote equality in the area of sexual and reproductive health and rights;
- remove shame and stigma related to sexual and reproductive health and rights.
We intend to achieve these goals through campaigning for the decriminalisation of abortion and advocating for laws that ensure that the health of pregnant people is protected and in line with international human rights standards through proper abortion care.
We will further strive to educate and debunk the myths surrounding abortion by providing factual information about sexual and reproductive health and rights.
To this aim, we will be organising activities to raise awareness in the community and combat the stigma and shame surrounding abortion, and providing up to date information to support evidence-based policy. Starting tomorrow, we will roll out our first social media campaign entitled “50 abortion myths: Get the facts straight’’ (30 ħrafa fuq l-abort: Kun af il-fatti)
Voice for choice will also be organising an annual event to commemorate ‘International Safe Abortion Day’ (28 September).
Contact details:
Email:- vfcmalta@gmail.com
Facebook:- www.facebook.com/V4CMalta/
Founders:
Women’s Rights Foundation
Moviment Graffitti
Malta Humanist Association
Integra
aditus
Men Against Violence
Individual co-founders:
Francesca Fenech Conti and Jelena Dimke, admins Women for Women
Liza Caruana-Finkel
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Voice for Choice/L-Għażla Tagħha
Voice for Choice/L-Għażla Tagħha hija l-ewwel koalizzjoni Maltija favur l-għażla magħmula minn organizzazzjonijiet u individwi mis-soċjetà ċivili li flimkien jixtiequ jibnu kampanja favur id-drittijiet u l-ġustizzja fil-qasam tar-riproduzzjoni f’Malta. Aħna numru ta’ organizzazzjonijiet li jirrappreżentaw setturi varji tas-soċjetà, kif ukoll individwi li għandhom passjoni għad-drittijiet tas-saħħa riproduttiva.
L-abort f’Malta għadu illegali f’kull ċirkustanza. Nafu li r-realtà hi li nisa f’Malta xorta qegħdin ifittxu u jagħmlu l-abort. Madanakollu għal dan qed iħallsu prezz kemm finanzjarju kif ukoll soċjali apparti l-impatt fuq is-saħħa fiżika w mentali tagħhom għax dawn in-nisa jispiċċaw jgħixu bil-biża’, bl-istigma u l-mistħija fis-soċjetà tagħna.
F’dawn l-aħħar snin, Malta għamlet passi kbar biex issir soċjetà iktar inklussiva. Għalhekk wasal iż-żmien biex il-liġijiet li għandhom x’jaqsmu mal-abort ukoll jiġu riveduti biex ikunu jirriflettu r-realtajiet tal-ħajja tan-nies. Aħna qegħdin hawn biex nassiguraw li kull persuna tqila, irrispettivament mill-ġeneru, l-etniċità, it-twemmin u l-età, ikunu megħjuna, rispettati u protetti, huma x’inhuma l-għażliet tagħhom.
Voice for Choice/L-Għażla Tagħha illum qed tvara l-kampanja tagħha sabiex:
- taħdem għal soċjetà mibnija fuq rispett indaqs u ġustizzja mingħajr diskriminazzjoni għall-ġeneri u l-minoranzi kollha;
- tassigura li l-ostakli kollha biex persuna taċċessa servizzi ta’ saħħa sesswali u riproduttiva jitneħħew;
- tippromwovi l-ugwaljanza fil-qasam tas-saħħa u d-drittijiet sesswali u riproduttivi;
- tneħħi l-mistħija u l-istigma li hemm marbuta mas-saħħa u d-drittijiet sesswali u riproduttivi.
L-għan tagħna huwa li niksbu dawn il-miri permezz ta’ kampanja favur id-dekriminalizzazzjoni tal-abort u billi nagħmlu pressjoni biex ikollna liġijiet li jaċċertaw li s-saħħa ta’ persuni tqal tkun protetta u konformi mal-livelli internazzjonali tad-drittijiet tal-bniedem permezz ta’ kura xierqa tal-abort. Se nkunu wkoll qed naħdmu biex nedukaw u nneħħu l-miti marbutin mal-abort billi nipprovdu informazzjoni fattwali dwar is-saħħa u d-drittijiet sesswali u riproduttivi.
Għal dan l-għan, se nkunu qed norganizzaw attivitajiet biex inqajmu kuxjenza fil-komunità u biex nikkumbattu l-istigma u l-mistħija marbuta mal-abort, kif ukoll se nkunu qed nipprovdu informazzjoni aġġornata biex ikunu jistgħu jiġu żviluppati policies ibbażati fuq l-evidenza. Minn għada, se nvaraw il-kampanja tagħna fuq il-midja soċjali bl-isem ta “30 idejat żbaljati fuq l-abort: Kun af il-fatti”.
Voice for choice/L-Għażla Tagħha se tibda torganizza wkoll attività kull sena biex tfakkar il-Jum Dinji tal-Abort Sigur (fit-28 ta’ Settembru).
