“My Voice, My Choice”: The Biggest Feminist Organisation in Europe Right Now, and How they Just Changed the World.
“My Voice, My Choice” is currently Europe's largest feminist movement, supported by over 300 organisations, spanning across more than 27 different countries. They believe that reproductive rights should be considered human rights globally, and at the end of February they won a victory for women across Europe.
They were primarily initiated and coordinated by the Slovenian organisation Inštitut 8. Marec (8th of March Institute), led by activist Nika Kova?. The idea came to Kova? three years ago when she was in New York and witnessed the overturning of Roe v. Wade. This was when the U.S Supreme Court ended nearly 50 years of federal constitutional protection for abortion, angering women worldwide. Kova?’s objective was to ensure the same thing would never happen in Europe.
For the last three years, Kova? and her team have fought restlessly for this right, and on the 26th of February the European Commission said yes. They agreed that they would use existing funds for women across member states to be able to have safe and accessible abortions, for those who would not have this right otherwise. This is particularly prominent in countries such as Malta and Poland. After three years of fighting and 1.1 million signatures of people supporting the initiative, they finally won.
As well as this, the EU Commission also agreed that the funding, which comes from the European Social fund, will cover travel and accommodation for the women who have to receive this healthcare. This is an initiative that will save lives, and this is also one of the first times that the European Union has vocalised that there are funds that can be used for abortion services and healthcare.
Although the EU Commission did not offer any additional funding towards the cause, this is still a big leap for Europe. They are standing up for safe healthcare access for women, during a period of increased pressure on women's rights around the world. This decision will save countless lives.
The European Commission have come out on their Instagram in response to this win, recounting how “Unsafe abortions are a public health issue. They can lead to serious physical harm, severe mental stress, and put women’s lives at risk.” And the World Health Organisation has also stated that nearly 45% of abortions are performed unsafely, putting more women’s lives at risk. This initiative will hopefully lower these statistics and the risks associated with them.
So what does this mean for the future? Many people are still angry, claiming that the EU Commission still isn’t doing enough. People are pushing for all Member States to be legalising abortion, rather than just pushing the issue elsewhere. The “My Voice, My Choice” team have also voiced on their social media platforms, how they were disappointed that no more funding had been offered, but were nonetheless still extremely pleased with their outcome, stating that “that just means our battle continues”.
“My Voice, My Choice” will officially change the lives of countless women in Europe, ensuring that they will be funded to not only receive the termination procedure, but also for any extra travel costs. “My Voice, My Choice” hopes to offer comfort to women who have been hearing about controversy concerning their rights, and especially those who have directly experienced it. There is still a lot of progress to be made concerning women’s rights, but this is a big step in the progressive direction.