EWL members engaged on the European Week of Action to support women in Spain and Abortion rights in Europe

[Brussels, 5 February 2014] EWL members and partners organisations are organising activities all over Europe to show their support women in Spain and the right to access free and safe abortion in Europe. The Belgium EWL members, CFFB and NVR, the French Coordination to the EWL, the Slovenian Women´s Lobby, Women’s Network Croatia, the EWL members in the UK, the Netherlands Council of Women, the Italian-LEF, the Portuguese Platform for Women’s Rights, the Women´s Council of Denmark, the Swedish Women´s Lobby and many more have sent a letter to the Spanish Government calling them to attend the demands of the Women´s NGOs and to withdraw the draft bill restricting access to abortion. The letter can be found here. On the 20 December 2013, the Spanish Council of Ministers approved a draft bill aiming at reforming the current law on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). If approved, abortion would be allowed in Spain only in the case of rape or if the pregnancy poses a serious physical or mental health risk to women. Any abortion carried out that does not fall under the two permitted categories will be considered a crime, leaving women in Spain with two choices: travel abroad to get a safe and legal abortion or having an “underground” abortion with serious threats to their health. If approved, this new bill would lead to a 30 years step backwards in the rights of women and to the failure of the Government to fulfill its fundamental role to promote gender equality and human rights. Furthermore, the Swedish Women´s Lobby and the Women´s Council of Denmark have sent a common letter expressing their concerns about the very restrictive project law presented by the Spanish Minister of Justice. The Women’s Lobby Slovenia (WLS) organized participation of members and participants of the conference on Equality Pays Off held on 15 and 16 January in Slovenia in mybodycampaign under slogan Nunca mas! and Slovenian Nikoli več! The WLS put appeal for signing the petition on their website. The appeal, which has been signed together seven organizations; can be found in Slovenian here: www.zls.si. On Saturday, 1st February, the WLS organised a protest in front of the Spanish embassy in Ljubljana and we are going to have a speech.

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EWL members in Croatia, France, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, UK, also joined the demonstrations organised on the 1st of February to support the Train of Freedom in Spain. The Platform of NGOs in Portugal will also take part in the demonstration on the 8th of February. The Women’s Network Croatia invited the media to join on Wednesday the 5th the demonstration that the WNC will in front of the Spanish Embassy. Last week, the Estonian Women’s Associations Roundtable (EWAR), all participants, from EWAR member organisations, gathered for a group photo showing their support women in Spain and the right to abortion in Europe.

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template letter spanish abortion draft bill 1

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