Abortion Right, a national platform of around twenty associations, will hold a rally in support of the right to choice on Thursday at Place Poelaert in Brussels.
At 9:00 a.m., a specially chartered bus with about thirty activists will travel through the streets of the capital to symbolise women forced to travel to the Netherlands to access abortion services after exceeding Belgium’s 12-week legal limit.
The bus will arrive at Place Poelaert by 10:00 am for a static and visual performance, followed by speeches. Activists will call on parliamentarians to address “barriers and discrimination in access to abortion in Belgium,” according to Abortion Right.
“We especially want to highlight the discriminatory nature of the law, which disproportionately affects the most marginalised or precarious individuals,” the women's rights umbrella stressed.
The group noted that many women, due to lack of resources, are compelled to continue unwanted pregnancies.
“In response to this dire situation, we remind newly elected parliamentarians of their human rights obligations: the right to life, privacy, health, and freedom from violence and discrimination,” the platform added, urging parliamentarians to prioritise a legal amendment to that effect.
A discussion and potential vote on abortion is scheduled for Wednesday, 25 September in the Chamber. This comes in the wake of recommendations by a group of experts commissioned by the previous parliament, which supported extending the voluntary termination period to 18 weeks post-conception and removing the reflection period.
