Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/952911
maltatoday SUNDAY 11 MARCH 2018 News 3 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 But Nationalist MP Edwin Vas- sallo took issue with this. "I cannot accept that our country has come to the point that it accepts that a baby gets torn apart while still in the womb," he said. "If we arrived to the point that we accept this, the country has lost all dignity. "By striving to be the same as countries abroad, it only means that we are striving to do wrong as happens abroad – and to be animals like others. Because you need to be an animal to think that killing a vulnerable person is ac- ceptable." Survey results belie claims In the survey by this newspaper, the only circumstance in which a signifi- cant number agree with abortion is in cases in which the mother's life is in dan- ger, amounting to 46%. However, 27% still said that they disagree and 27% said they are unsure. In cases in which the unborn child is found to have severe dis- abilities, 67% said no, while 18% said yes and 14% were unsure. 72% did not accept abortion even in cases of rape. The position paper also contro- versially recommends that abor- tion be decriminalised "so that Maltese women who access abor- tion in other countries or through telemedicine do not face criminal proceedings and risk three years imprisonment, especially when accessing local health services for possible post-abortion complica- tions." Conservative backlash Democratic Party MP Godfrey Farrugia agrees with this, as it is his opinion that "a woman who commits an abortion is not a criminal. Our society is still very prejudiced against, hostile to, and judgmental where women are concerned." "Whilst I reiterate that the right to life and the right to live should be upheld, let us seek to under- stand, help and support women who land themselves or are hurled in the cruel p r e d i c a m e n t of having to contemplate e x e c u t i n g their chil- dren. Con- demning and criminalising already trau- matised or vul- nerable women is not the way for- ward," Farrugia told MaltaToday. "While abortion should never be used as a means of family planning since the planning should proceed preg- nancy, neither should childbearing be used as a means to subordinate women," he added. Wider and unrestricted access to sexual and reproductive health services through community- based clinics are another recom- mendation of the paper, as is the subsidisation of contraception as a public health investment. Gender equality The paper also recommends a re- vision of the National Sexual Health Strategy to reflect legal and societal changes occurring since 2011, with clear responsibilities, timelines and measures of monitoring and evalu- ation to ensure accountability and quality standards in services and the development of better sexual- ity education programmes which "place gender equality and human rights at the centre and use meth- ods that foster participation and critical thinking." But Vassallo said that when the topic of gender equality comes about, "we don't truly understand what equality is, as speaking about abortion defeats the purpose if we don't consider an unborn child to be a person." He also thinks that anyone who accepts abortion does not deserve to be considered a person, and that the country will turn into a slaugh- terhouse if abortion is made legal. "All this country cares about is power and money. It is shameful," he said. "Where is the Catholic Church? Everyone's mouth is shut, and everyone is alienated." tia.reljic@mediatoday.com.mt "We are striving to be animals like others," PN MP says GROUP CALLS FOR LEGAL ACCESS TO ABORTION Seven recommendations pertaining to national action plan for sexual and reproductive health, comprehensive sexuality education, contraception and abortion, outlined in position paper launched by Women's Rights Foundation Godfrey Farrugia Edwin Vassallo "We don't truly understand what equality is, as speaking about abortion defeats the purpose if we don't consider an unborn child to be a person"