by My Voice My Choice
YOU CAN SIGN THE PETITION HERE: https://sign.myvoice-mychoice.org/forms/end-control-over-our-bodies-for-safe-and-accessible-abortion-throughout-europe
They say: “You can use the petition text posted on the petition website as content for sharing, but we don’t have an agreed text because we want each organization to make this campaign their own. We have a lot of different visuals connected to the campaign and you can find them on the official My Voice, My Choice communication channels. Here are three of their GIFs from a page full of GIFs:
You can find their Facebook page here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556585769607
They write: “We started this campaign with our petition about a month ago so there is already a lot of content on our channels. You can use any of the posted graphics or parts of text to spread the word. Thanks!!!”
It’s up to all of us to get those one million signatures on their petition! Abortion rights advocates have been trying to get the European Union to support legal abortion since the late 1970s in Dublin. Maybe a million signatures will make change happen!!!! And no, signatures from those of us in Brexit Britain are sadly not accepted, sorry.
The broad political basis for this campaign is the fact of the lack of access to abortion in many parts of Europe, which not only puts women at risk of physical harm but also puts undue economic and mental stress on women and families, often on the margins of society that can afford it the least. They say: “We are asking the European Commission to submit a proposal for financial support to Member States that would be able to perform safe termination of pregnancies, in accordance with their domestic law, for anyone in Europe who still lacks access to safe and legal abortion.
This solution could take the form of an opt-in mechanism open to Member States on a voluntary basis. Those who would opt-in would then receive financial support from the EU to compensate for the weight and cost of this solidarity effort.
They clarify that the initiative does not aim to harmonise nor interfere with the laws and regulations of Member States, but rather falls under the supporting competence of the EU, in accordance with the rules set up by the European treaties. It fulfils, they say, the EU’s policy, which enshrines the protection of human health in Article 3 of its Charter of Fundamental Rights that: “Everyone has the right to respect for his or her physical and mental integrity”.
They continue: “These norms lay ground for tangible actions, such as the recognition of a principle of non-discrimination with regard to the nationality of patients (Directive (EU) No 2011/24), and therefore introduce an equal right to access healthcare in any Member State. Also based on article 168, the EU recently adopted the EU4Health program, setting up a €5.3 billion investment to achieve goals for better health in Europe, including “supporting Member States’ actions to promote access to sexual and reproductive healthcare” (Regulation (EU) No 282/2014).
Moreover, they say, preventing unsafe abortions is a public health matter in which the EU must intervene to uphold its values and objectives. They close with this:
“We, the citizens of the EU, want to make women’s lives substantially and materially better wherever they live in our Union, whatever conditions they find themselves in. It was stated by the President of the European Commission that their task is “to provide full support to Member States’ efforts in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals relevant to women’s health, universal access to sexual reproductive care, family planning, and education.” (Ares (2019) 6127222) Our initiative aims to make these promises a reality and to create a safer and more just Europe that works for everyone.”
SOURCE: Citizens Initiative Europa EU, by My Voice, My Choice, 11 April 2024