Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1407680
Given the hundreds of abortions happening in Malta each year, it makes no sense at all for students to become doctors without being properly informed when it comes to internationally accepted guidelines regarding the management of abortion Essa Qasem and Mariah Zammit are members of Students for Choice Essa Qasem and Mariah Zammit 12 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 5 SEPTEMBER 2021 OPINION EVERY year hundreds of women and girls in Malta have an abor- tion, mostly by ordering pills online given the worldwide pan- demic restricting travel. Thanks to the efforts of the Voice for Choice coalition, the issue of ac- cess to abortion in the context of women's rights has finally be- come one we can openly discuss. Now more than ever, when stu- dents have access to information from every corner in the world, we feel that it is imperative for students to have a voice in this discussion. Students for Choice (S4C) is an initiative targeting the long overdue representation of stu- dents within the pro-choice movement in Malta. Our focus is the issue of Sexual Health and Reproductive Health (SHRH) coupled with the de- criminalisation of abortion. Although our aims are not dif- ferent from those of other pro- choice NGOs, we hope to offer an opportunity for students who claim to be pro-choice to step up and make a difference. While readily expressing sup- port for comprehensive sexual education and freely accessible contraception, fewer students openly support decriminalisa- tion of abortion, mostly for fear of retribution. As S4C, we ask for more than just raising awareness about these issues. We ask for chang- es in the educational system so that our youth are better equipped and well informed not only about their own bod- ies, but also on how to engage in safe and healthy relation- ships. We strongly believe that this would be a much more ef- fective way of ensuring young people in Malta participate in safe sexual intercourse, as op- posed to the traditional focus on abstinence adopted by the current 'system of sexual edu- cation' – if it can be called as such. 52% of Maltese youths are not using contraception, nor are they aware of the reper- cussions of unprotected sexual intercourse. The social stigma surrounding sexual health and abortion does not justify aban- doning such an important as- pect of our education. The demand for major cur- riculum reform should extend beyond sexual and reproduc- tive health and wellbeing. Medical and nursing students, for example, should know how medical and surgical abortions are performed. Given the hundreds of abor- tions happening in Malta each year, it makes no sense at all for students to become doc- tors without being properly in- formed when it comes to inter- nationally accepted guidelines regarding the management of abortion. Our medical school should be preparing students to become global doctors; in- deed, many enrolled students come from different countries and would be expected to re- turn there to practice. Why is this important? Every human has basic inalienable rights that must be afforded to them without discrimina- tion in order for them to thrive and prosper. Women and girls in Malta are being robbed of this essential right through laws which dictate what they can and cannot do with their body. They are being forced to continue with their pregnan- cy, whether they like it or not, whatever their circumstanc- es. There is no other medical or surgical procedure that any person in Malta is legally pro- hibited from having, provided it is medically indicated. Yet pregnant persons with a fatal foetal anomaly are forced to give birth because of the current blanket ban on abor- tion. Criminalising a basic hu- man right greatly undermines the lives of those personally involved, affording them lesser rights than their male counter- parts. This essentially classifies them as second-class citizens. As Students for Choice, we acknowledge the thirst for stu- dents to voice their opinions regarding the decriminalisa- tion of abortion in Malta. Our objective is to provide a plat- form that unites the voice of all students who believe that women should have the right to decide what happens to their body. Students for Choice are com- mitted to advocating for com- prehensive sexual and repro- ductive health as well as the decriminalisation of abortion. If you are in public or private post-secondary, undergradu- ate or postgraduate education and feel the same way, reach out to us on FB/instagram @ s4cmalta, or on our email stu- dentsforchoicemalta@gmail. com. We welcome any and all students from the age of 16 up- wards, wherever/whatever you may be studying. Together we can make a difference. Students for choice: we support decriminalisation of abortion in Malta