Malta’s women find their voice in growing pro choice movement

While pro-choice sentiment may be breaking through traditional taboos of silence of late, it still remains rare for women who have had abortions to come to the forefront.

With hotly polarised political debate and an associated social stigma making privacy and anonymity on the issue understandable - and even, to a certain degree, inevitable - the end result is that Maltese women who have had abortions are pushed even further into the margins of society.

But a team of young women want to take the message to legislators by attempting to place these women’s experiences centre-stage in public conversations as way of pricking the public’s ears.

The Dear Decision Makers campaign is attempting to do just that – taking women’s first-hand experiences to the forefront, through a safe confidential platform.

“As Maltese women, we decided to take it upon ourselves to ensure that these stories and voices are heard. We are advocating for the right to reproductive health by sharing the experiences of women who didn’t have choice, and others who faced multiple barriers when trying to access the abortions they needed. These experiences take place, more often than not, in secrecy and silence, and we are determined to change that,” Project Lead, Laura Paris told MaltaToday.

The campaign, which is supported by the Young Progressive Beings and Break the Taboo Malta is focused on the power of shared experience, in the hope that it will encourage the public to empathise more directly. Paris is assisted by Emily Galea, Liza Caruana-Finkel and Alessandra Baldacchino.

“From the physical and mental agony to the local lack of financial and psychosocial support for vulnerable women, the stories truly embody the injustice people in Malta are suffering,” Paris said.

Paris observes how due to the national criminalisation of abortion and the taboo surrounding it, the issue is scarcely discussed in the absence of shame, fear or anger. She said people needed to unlearn, rethink and reconstruct their opinions on abortion.

“Through this process, we discovered the unspoken trauma, suffering, and loneliness that the blanket ban on abortion has brought about. When COVID-19 restrictions came into place, the urge for reform became particularly prominent. This is due to the current travel restrictions, the rise in domestic abuse, and the decrease in availability of contraceptives which are currently limiting women and pregnant people’s options even further,” she said.

Paris said the campaign plans on compiling the testimonies into a formal letter,  addressed to the eponymous “dear decision makers” in a bid to change the views of lawmakers.

“Healthcare professionals are also encouraged to join in and recount their experiences. It is through these collective voices that we would like to convey to the Maltese public as well as the government that abortion services are essential,” Paris said.

On a social level, Paris hopes that the campaign can help correct misconceptions on abortion, paving the way for a healthy debate in Malta. “The next step is exercising more mindfulness of the various reasons why people have abortions, and understanding that hate and shame have no place in this debate.”

By sharing real experiences, the campaign aims at not only reducing the stigma of abortion but facilitate a constructive debate that is based on evidence and experiential knowledge.

“Being pro-choice does not mean believing that every pregnancy should end in abortion, but simply that you can accept, empathise and support those who choose to have abortions. We are not here to tell people what to think; we want to facilitate solidarity and unity amongst the people of this country,” she said.

The feedback to the campaign has been positive, from both women submitting testimonies, as well as the general public. “Many people are afraid to publicly announce that they are supportive of abortion and this initiative, but the support is there. Hopefully, this is something that we can change. Abortion shouldn’t have to be a taboo subject,” Paris said.

‘All walks of life after affected by the ban’

Paris said one of the most striking things the campaign had noticed so far, is that women of all ages, backgrounds, and walks of life need abortions and are negatively affected by the total ban.

“This became evident not only from the few stories we have collected but also from conversations with peers and activists. In some cases, we have also observed trails of long-lasting harm that has stemmed from negative experiences associated directly with the blanket ban, including the high level of abortion stigma in Malta,” she said.

This reality is coupled with the local lack of institutional support and other factors that are accounted for in countries where abortion is legal and accessible, creating an urgent call for action in Malta.