New EU-wide pro-choice initiative

womensphere reports that the Swedish Liberal Party has launched a campaign which aims to get women’s access to abortion recognised as a human right protected under EU law, meaning states would be denied membership if their female population is unable to freely and legally access abortion. Entitled ‘Make Noise For Free Choice’, the campaign is founded on the belief that denying women access to free, legal, safe abortion violates the following human rights:

* The right to health: a universally recognized human right to which all people are entitled; respecting women’s right to health requires the decriminalization of abortion.

* The rights to nondiscrimination and equality: abortion is a medical procedure that only women need. The denial of health care services needed only by women is a discriminatory act. The U.N. Human Rights Committee has repeatedly established a clear link between women’s equality and the availability of reproductive health services, including abortion.

* The right to privacy: decision of parenthood is deeply personal and exactly the type of interest privacy rights should protect.

The campaign is particularly critical of Ireland and NI, where abortion is illegal unless the woman’s life is in danger; Poland, where access is restricted to cases of foetal abnormality, rape and threat to the woman’s life; and Malta, where it is completely illegal.

The organisers aim to gain one million signatures supporting the initiative by October 2010, so get to it!