Gibraltar reform is a small – but important – step for abortion rights in Europe

June 29, 2021
Sydney Calkin

Gibraltar has voted to change the territory’s strict abortion ban, which held that abortion was punishable by “imprisonment for life” for the pregnant person and anyone who helped them get an abortion.

Just over half of Gibraltar’s 23,343 eligible voters took part in the referendum on June 24, with 62% voting in favour of reforms to make abortion legally available. The success of the referendum will mean important changes for people in Gibraltar who urgently need access to safe, legal and local abortion.

Continued: https://theconversation.com/gibraltar-reform-is-a-small-but-important-step-for-abortion-rights-in-europe-163447


Gibraltar votes to ease strict abortion law

Reuters, June 25, 2021
By Marco Trujillo

GIBRALTAR (Reuters) -Gibraltar voted to ease a strict abortion law, officials said on Friday, after a referendum which some locals said marked a long overdue advancement of women's rights in the tiny British territory.

Around 62% of voters who took part backed the change in Thursday's ballot, where turnout was about 52% of the 23,000 odd eligible voters, Gibraltar's parliament said.

Continued: https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/world/gibraltar-approves-easing-strict-abortion-law-in-referendum-100604408/


Gibraltar votes to ease tough abortion laws

June 24, 2021

Gibraltar voted to relax its tough anti-abortion laws in a referendum on Thursday.

The tiny British territory has some of the harshest abortion laws in Europe - the penalty for breaching the law is life imprisonment.

Voters backed relaxing the rules to allow abortions where a woman's mental or physical health is at risk or when foetuses have fatal physical defects.

Continued: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-57606228


Gibraltar votes on whether to ease its strict abortion law

BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Posted Jun 24, 2021

GIBRALTAR (AP) — Gibraltar was holding a referendum Thursday on whether to introduce exceptions to the British territory’s ban on abortion.

Abortion is illegal in Gibraltar, unless it is needed to save the mother’s life. Abortion is legally classified as “child destruction” and is punishable by up to life in prison. It is one of Europe’s most restrictive laws on pregnancy termination.

Continued: https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/06/24/gibraltar-votes-on-whether-to-ease-its-strict-abortion-law/


’Let down’: calls for Gibraltar’s Covid-delayed abortion vote to take place

Pro-choice activists demand decriminalisation referendum happen despite conservative opposition

Darcy Jimenez
Tue 29 Sep 2020

Earlier this year, pro-choice activists in Gibraltar were hopeful that their territory’s abortion laws – the harshest in Europe – could soon be overturned.

Terminations are banned in the tiny British territory, even in the cases of rape, incest, or foetal abnormality where the foetus will not survive. Abortions are punishable by life imprisonment, except when the woman’s life is in danger.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/29/the-gibraltarians-demanding-covid-delayed-abortion-vote-takes-place


No More Shame says 29 requests for abortion pills have been sent from Gibraltar between January and June this year

22nd July 2020

From the start of this year to June, 29 requests for abortion pills have been sent from Gibraltar, according to pro-choice campaigners, No More Shame. The group says that its sources at Women on Web - an organisation that provides access to such pills - have provided these statistics.

No More Shame claims that 20 requests for abortion pills were sent from Gibraltar in 2019 to Women on Web. By comparison, it says, 29 requests were sent during the first six months of this year, which reflects an increase of 190%. The group claims that many of these requests were made during the lockdown period, and demonstrates that women in Gibraltar are opting for abortion pills. The group claims that Clinica Ginesur Algeciras has provided its services to 15 Gibraltar residents between January and June of this year. It says there were 21 Gibraltar residents accessing their services for all of 2019.

Continued: https://www.gbc.gi/news/no-more-shame-says-29-requests-abortion-pills-have-been-sent-gibraltar-between-january-and-june-year


Gibraltar abortion vote postponed due to coronavirus

Gibraltar abortion vote postponed due to coronavirus
Poll earlier this month shows 70% of voters intend to support changes to liberalize abortion laws in referendum

Karim El-Bar
13.03.2020

Gibraltar announced on Thursday that it postponed a referendum on liberalizing its abortion laws due to the global coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, the government said that though the "nature of the voting process is safe," it was concerned that "the advice to elderly people to stay home and avoid public places" could lead to the result of the vote to be "called into question" due to possible allegations that it skewed the results of the vote.

Continued: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/europe/gibraltar-abortion-vote-postponed-due-to-coronavirus/1764365


GIBRALTAR – A referendum on a better abortion law set for Gibraltar March 2020

GIBRALTAR – A referendum on a better abortion law set for Gibraltar March 2020

by International Campaign for Women's Right to Safe Abortion
July 23, 2019

The government of Gibraltar went back on its promise to make Gibraltar’s abortion law compliant with the Human Rights set out by the UK Supreme Court. Instead they have decided to put changing the abortion law to a public referendum. As the people of Ireland will be able to tell them, a public referendum will mean people who have had abortions being called upon to tell their “stories” in order to be judged by their peers. We are pretty cross about this, and while we hope the voters of Gibraltar do the right thing, we are sorry that the government has decided to play politics with women’s bodies (Abortion Support Network).

Continued: http://www.safeabortionwomensright.org/gibraltar-a-referendum-on-a-better-abortion-law-set-for-gibraltar-march-2020/


Abortion Support Network expands service to Malta and Gibraltar

Abortion Support Network expands service to Malta and Gibraltar (Press Release)

Published on February 14, 2019

In the spirit of Valentine’s Day, ASN brings the gift of confidential, non-judgemental information and funding for abortion costs to new countries

Roses are Red, Violets are Blue
Ireland has safe legal abortion
So we’re expanding to help Malta and Gibraltar too!

Abortion Support Network (ASN), a small UK-based charity providing financial assistance, practical information and accommodation to those living in countries with restrictive abortion laws, announced today that it has launched its service to people resident in Malta and Gibraltar. As of today, anyone in those countries will be able to ring the ASN helpline, visit the ASN website or send an email and receive confidential, non-judgmental information about the least expensive way to arrange abortion and travel, clinics that ASN works with in several EU countries, and, where necessary, receive financial help towards the cost of travelling from your home country and paying privately to access a safe, legal abortion.

Currently Malta is the only country in Europe where abortion is completely against the law, whereas the law in Gibraltar allows abortion to save a woman’s life.

Continued: https://www.asn.org.uk/news-and-events/abortion-support-network-expands-service-to-malta-and-gibraltar-press-release/


International Safe Abortion Day: EHF publishes abortion status report

International Safe Abortion Day: EHF publishes abortion status report

Posted on 28/09/18

Access to abortion in Europe appears to be a vested right. In reality, however, it is nothing of the kind. Attacks by anti- choice groups, both open and insidious, are increasing. Shaming of women remains the rule. Barriers to women’s sexual and reproductive autonomy are a manifestation of institutionalised sexism, and must be fought as features of injustice and inequality.

Beyond ideological barriers, the economic crisis and austerity politics have created new obstacles such as the closure of abortion clinics, increasing waiting times, and limited resources being dedicated to information campaigns.

Continued: https://humanistfederation.eu/intl-safe-abortion-day/