Women in Malta have no right over their bodies. The courts of Malta stopped a woman from traveling as ex claimed she wanted an abortion…
The premise that we women in Malta have no right over our own bodies has become even more evident after the courts of Malta, as reported this morning on Women’s Rights Foundation Facebook page, stopped a woman from traveling because her boyfriend claimed she was going to travel to have an abortion – it is not even true.
That the courts even considered this notion and removed her right to freedom of movement on the grounds of another person’s claims is ludicrous, dangerous and sets a very scary precedent. Meaning that if I suspect someone of potentially doing something I can just go to the police and claim for example that Joe Bloggs should be detained because I am sure he is going to Amsterdam to smoke pot (just because I don’t like the guy and want to cause him trouble) – and the police just decide to take his passport and stop him and prosecute him in court.
As far as I know unless someone has committed a crime, no one can be detained due to something they might do in another country legally. The notion that we women once pregnant are at the mercy of the state, not having control over our own mental and physical wellbeing is something we need to all be afraid of, both men and women whether we are pro-life or pro-choice.
This can happen to any of us, our sisters, cousins, daughters. Where will the line be drawn? Can anyone just shout abortion and we are imprisoned for 9 months and then our child taken from us and becoming property of the state? Can we be forced not to travel while pregnant, even with our partners because there is a risk we might harm the baby?
Maybe we shouldn’t allow women to work, drink or exercise just in case too. If women are treated like incubators, without our own mental capacity to decide for ourselves what is best for us and our children – how are we then meant to be good enough to bring up the future generations of children into healthy mentally stable individuals?
Maybe herein lies the problem of why our country is in such a mess. It is being run by incapable men who were probably brought up by unempowered women who had to do as they’re told in this patriarchal society. A society that does not value its women is an unhealthy society and one that in the end will not progress and move forward but we will continue to be run on mediocrity.
If we love Malta and care about our future and that of our children the future needs to have more females in Parliament, in decision and policy making positions in the country. That can only happen once we all can have full control of our bodies, without that we can never all be fully empowered.
Watch the story unfold on the Women’s Rights Foundation Facebook page…
Francesca Fenech Conti is passionate about social issues and has a BA in Social Policy. She is the Founder and creator of the women only facebook group Women for Women (Malta) and the Women for Women Foundation that works hand in hand with other NGOs and businesses to empower and support women, especially single mothers.
Francesca recently also launched Wham.com.mt to provide a much needed space on the local media scene to promote women’s voices and to provide women with a source of information regarding their general wellbeing.
Click here to check out Francesca’s full bio as well as a list of all her Wham published articles
