Facebook shuts down women's group after complaint lodged

An all women’s group set up on Facebook has been abruptly shut down by Facebook after a complaint was made with the social media platform, on allegations that it violated Facebook’s terms of use.

The ‘Women for Women’ group was set up by women, allowing them to share all kind of discussions, ideas, suggestions and even help support a charity or give other women a friendly ear.

“This is our sorry state of affairs,” blogger and group member Mel Hart said on Facebook. “A group which has been there for all women living in Malta, helping them either through charity or just a friendly ear, and that has also spearheaded the morning after pill judicial protest, has been banned from Facebook.”

Hart went on to add that that the ban “was most certainly the works of certain other groups who want to shut up 9,000 women wanting to speak up for their rights”.

Group administrator Francesca Fenech Conti said that women will not be silenced: “We will be bigger and better. We will not be silenced!”

Andrea Dibben, another group member and social policy worker, said: “What does the patriarchy do when it starts feeling threatened? It starts trying to shut women up by using dirty tactics. 9,000 women have just had their right to freedom of expression breached!”

The ban comes after the Women’s Rights Foundation, supported by 102 women, filed a judicial protest calling for the licensing of emergency contraception.

The debate that ensued caused an outcry by the pro-lifers, who claim that the morning after pill is abortifacient.

Emergency contraception in Malta is unlicensed and, therefore, is not sold. Yet, women who have asked for emergency contraception in Malta were instructed to take a high dose of their regular contraceptive pill.

The reasons why a woman would request the MAP are varied: a contraceptive pill that may have been missed, unprotected sexual intercourse, a condom that slipped or broke, or in case of rape or sexual assault.

The Women’s Rights Foundation believes that it is a woman’s right to have access to emergency contraception (EC). After all, EC does not terminate a pregnancy but prevents most pregnancies when taken after intercourse.