The collection of signatures for “My voice, my decision” begins, a European Citizens' Initiative to protect the right to abortion
The movement "My voice, my decision” today began collecting signatures for its campaign to guarantee the free, safe and accessible abortion in all the European Union. In the context of the elections to European Parliament, your goal is to achieve at least one million supports before June 5 to protect this right for all European women, whatever the context of their countries.
It is a European Citizens' Initiative (ICE) which has been supported by organizations and citizens of eight countries (Poland, France, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Ireland and Finland, as well as Spain). Presented before the European Commission, their demand is that Member States offer financial support so that any woman in Europe who does not yet have access to a safe and legal abortion can access it. To do this, any citizen of the UE You can sign through this link: https://bit.ly/firmamivozmidecision
Access to abortion
In total, it is estimated that, across the EU, more than 20 million women do not have guaranteed access to abortion. The initiative – presented today with parallel press conferences in all participating countries – highlights four types of situations in which support such as the one proposed could make a difference.
First of all, in those countries where voluntary termination of pregnancy is prohibited, such as Poland or Malta. Secondly, those where it is legal, but not free, such as Austria and Germany. The third case is that of countries in which, despite being legal, abortion is not accessible, such as Croatia and Italy.
Migrant women
Finally, the initiative contemplates the case of women in situations of special vulnerability or belonging to communities in which access to abortion presents specific difficulties. In this sense, in Spain “My voice, my decision” pays special attention to the case of migrant women in an irregular administrative situation, for whom voluntary termination of pregnancy is often neither accessible nor safe.
For Cristina you will fail, one of the coordinators of the initiative in Spain, “The 'My voice, my decision' movement is a way of anticipating what is going to come: a right-wing and far-right movement that will attack women's rights.”. Referring to cases such as Italy or Poland, he adds: “We are already seeing it in Argentina but it will also arrive in the United States and Europe. And the first rights they attack are those that have to do with our bodies and particularly abortion.«.
One million signatures
For its part, Kika Smoker, also coordinator of the initiative, states: “The policies of death are those that threaten the physical and mental health of the more than 20 million women in Europe who do not have access to safe and free abortion. On the contrary, the culture of life implies ensuring our sexual and reproductive health, as well as protecting our fundamental rights such as the right to decide about our bodies.".
During the month of May,My voice, my decision” will hold events and meetings to disseminate the initiative in different cities. The first will take place on Monday, April 29 in Bilbao and on Tuesday the 30th in Pamplona. Likewise, on May 8, the “Cultural and political battle of the (extreme) right”, in which two of those responsible for the initiative at an international level will participate, Alice Coffin (France) and Nika Kovač (Slovenia). All information about the initiative can be followed through its social networks and website.
