My Voice, My Choice: for safe and accessible abortion

Key points

The EESC:

• highlights and welcomes the work on the European Citizens’ Initiative propelled by the My Voice, My Choice movement;
• reiterates that abortion must be a human right that is inseparable from many other rights, not just the right to health;
• calls on the European Commission to submit a proposal for financial support for Member States that would allow anyone in Europe who still lacks access to safe and legal abortion to safely terminate a pregnancy, in accordance with national law;
• stresses that denial or obstruction of abortion care constitutes institutional gender-based violence;
• stresses that access to safe and legal abortion is part of the Union’s duty to uphold the dignity, integrity, and equality of women;
• states that the decision to terminate a pregnancy must lie solely with the woman concerned, who must decide independently and free from coercion, disinformation and stigma;
• stresses that access to safe, legal abortion must be accompanied by policies and programmes that ensure informed freedom of choice and comprehensive sexuality education;
• recalls that comprehensive sexuality education is essential to prevent unwanted pregnancies, promote gender equality and protect against sexual violence;
• calls on the Member States to integrate comprehensive, scientifically rigorous and age- and ability-appropriate sex education into school curricula;
• believes that the European Commission will need to clarify the arrangements for EU funds to finance the exercise of this right;
• suggests that the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) and Eurostat collect disaggregated data on sexual and reproductive health and rights;
• considers it necessary to strengthen these women’s rights in the face of attacks from the far right and fundamentalist groups.