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Over the last few years, the EU has been facing many challenges in the realization of its core values: the rule of law, democracy, human rights, equality, especially gender equality, and women’s rights. The upcoming years are an opportunity for the EU to reflect on the direction it wants to take, the values it should stand for, and what more it can do to uphold and defend them. The EU should strive towards a world where everyone can enjoy the same rights, and lead free and safe private and family lives, free from sexism, coercion, and violence. In this crossroads moment, the upcoming three Council of the EU Presidencies – Sweden, Spain, and Belgium – have a critical role to play to uphold EU values. We call on them to adopt a feminist approach and show stronger leadership to further advance gender equality and women’s rights, including sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), in the EU and beyond. Read below our recommendations to the next Presidencies to lead the EU on a feminist path.

111 organizations express deep concern regarding current threats to reproductive rights in Slovakia. The Slovak Parliament is currently debating draft legislation that if adopted would impose new barriers to accessing lawful abortion care, harm women’s health and well-being, and undermine their decision-making and privacy. It would also force doctors to act in conflict with their professional obligations to their patients. The draft legislation seeks to double the medically unnecessary mandatory waiting period currently required before accessing abortion on request and extend its application, impose a new layer of medical authorization requirements for abortion on health grounds, and introduce a requirement forcing women to state the reasons for seeking an abortion and to provide other private information when requesting an abortion. The draft legislation also seeks to restrict the information that medical professionals can provide publicly about abortion care, and to strengthen the dissuasive nature of the mandatory information doctors are required to provide to women seeking abortion. Together with other civil society organisations, we call on all Members of Parliament to reject this regressive and harmful legislative proposal and to refrain from further attempts to restrict women’s reproductive rights in Slovakia.

You wouldn’t expect access to contraception to be an issue in EU countries such as Spain. But too many girls and women are still being denied the freedom to make their own reproductive choices. And it is vulnerable people who face the greatest obstacles when it comes to accessing this basic healthcare. In this video by our Spanish member FPFE, we meet Olga, Deli, Lidia, Barbara and Sandra, five young women struggling to overcome barriers in the Spanish system. These range from prohibitive costs, bureaucratic hurdles and the exclusion of immigrant women from the public health system, to the failure to ensure that all young people receive sex and relationships education and can use health care services that are adapted to their specific needs. Contraception is not a luxury. It’s a healthcare issue. And a human right.