Activists, allies, and members of the general public marched through the main streets of Valletta. The pro-choice rally is organised annually by the Voice for Choice coalition to commemorate International Safe Abortion Day (28th September). This year’s event focused on the theme of abortion stigma. They explained that there are so many people who have had abortions in Malta, that everyone must know someone close who has had an abortion and if they don’t, it is because of the unfortunate stigma that still exists in Malta. The person you love is probably afraid to share their story with those around them.
Within the crowd, various placards with messages highlighting Malta’s abortion reality were spotted. These drew attention to Malta’s restrictive and harsh abortion laws, the stigma faced by people who have abortions and those who support them, the fact that abortion is common, among others.
In Malta, at least one person a day uses abortion pills to self-manage an abortion at home. Abortion pills (mifepristone + misoprostol) are safe. In fact, they are on the WHO’s list of essential medicines. Nowadays, medical abortion has become the most common form of abortion in the initial stages of pregnancy. The pills cause a miscarriage and very often the person does not need to go to hospital. Despite this, abortions done in Malta are criminalised by up to 3 years imprisonment. Just a few months ago, a woman was prosecuted for having an abortion after being reported to the police by her abusive partner.
We know that abortion bans and the criminalisation of women and other pregnant people do not and will never stop abortions. Instead, they serve to keep people scared, feeling guilty and ashamed, being stigmatised and shunned. The organisations said that this year they chose to walk in Republic Street to deliver a clear message that they will continue to be vocal in favour of choice and that they will continue to fight so that women are no longer treated as second-class citizens.
Voice for Choice calls for abortion to be decriminalised, normalised, destigmatised, and made available and accessible locally.
“Kulħadd iħobb lil xi ħadd li għamel abort” – Il-Koalizzjoni Vuċi Favur l-Għażla timmarċja l-Belt għad-dikriminilizzazzjoni tal-abort.
Illum attivisti u nies oħrajn, imxew fit-toroq prinċipali tal-Belt, b’għajta waħda favur l-għażla. Din il-mixja favur l-għażla saret għall-okkażjoni tal-jum internazzjonali dedikat għall-aċċess sigur tal-abort, ‘International Safe Abortion Day’, u t-tema’ ta’ din is-sena kienet iffukata fuq l-istigma. Huma spjegaw li tant hawn nies li għamlu u qed jagħmlu abort f’Malta, li bilfors tħobb li xi ħadd li għamel abort anki jekk ma tafx. Huma spjegaw li jekk għadek ma taf lil ħadd li għamel abort, dan huwa minħabba l-istigma kbira li teżisti f’Malta u li l-persuna li tħobb aktarx qed tibża’ taqsam l-istorja tagħha man-nies ta’ madwarha.
Fil-folla kien hemm diversi messaġġi oħrajn li ġibdu l-attenzjoni dwar ir-realtà kiefra tal-liġijiet ħarxa u restrittivi f’Malta, fuq kemm jiġu iġġudikati n-nies li għamlu abort u fuq kemm l-abort huwa komuni.
F’Malta huwa stmat li mill-inqas persuna tqila kuljum tuża l-mediċina biex tagħmel abort id-dar. Il-mediċini tal-abort (mifepristone u misoprostol) ma jagħmlux ħsara u huma mediċini li qegħdin fuq il-lista tal-mediċini essenzjali tal-WHO. Illum il-ġurnata, l-abort permezz tal-mediċini fil-bidu tat-tqala huwa l-iktar mezz komuni ta’ kif isir l-abort. Il-mediċini jikkawżaw korriment u ħafna drabi ma jkunx hemm ħtieġa li persuna tmur l-isptar. Minkejja dan kollu, il-liġijiet ta’ Malta xorta jikkastigaw persuna li għamlet abort u din tista’ teħel sa 3 snin ħabs. F’Ġunju li għadda, mara Maltija ġiet imressqa il-Qorti talli għamlet abort, wara li din ġiet irrapurtata mir-raġel abbużiv tagħha.
Il-Koalizzjoni Favur l-Għażlu saħqet li l-liġi preżenti li tikriminalizza lin-nisa, qatt mhu se twaqqaf lin-nisa milli jagħmlu abort. Il-liġi isservi biss biex iżżomm lin-nisa fil-biża, iġġudikati u mwarrbin. L-organizzazjonijiet qalu li din is-sena għażlu li jimxu fi Triq ir-Repubblika fil-Belt biex iwasslu messaġġ ċar li se jkomplu jkunu voċiferi favur l-għażla u se jkompli jiġġieldu biex in-nisa u persuni oħrajn li jistgħu ikunu tqal ma jibqgħux jiġu trattati ta’ ċittadini tat-tieni klassi.
Il-koalizzjoni ta’ 14-il organizzazzjoni favur l-għażla qed titlob li l-abort jiġi dikriminalizzat, normalizzat, provdut u aċċessibbli lokalment.
The 14 organisations in the Voice for Choice Coalition are:
Academics for Choice
aditus foundation
Doctors for Choice
Grandparents for Choice
Integra Foundation
Lawyers for Choice
Malta Humanists Association
Men Against Violence
MGRM
Moviment Graffitti
Parents for Choice
Students for Choice
Women’s Rights Foundation
Young Progressive Beings
