A demonstration organised by the national platform Abortion Right took place Thursday morning in Brussels to protest the barriers and discrimination against accessing abortion services in Belgium.
The platform highlighted that over 350 women exceed the 12-week legal limit annually and must travel to the Netherlands for an abortion.
In homage to the feminist movements of fifty years ago, which organised bus trips for women seeking abortions in the Netherlands, a bus with a large banner reading "We Still Have to Abort in the Netherlands – Abortion is a Right, Change the Law", circulated through Brussels from 09:00, stopping at Place Poelaert.
Around one hundred people gathered to listen to speeches. "We are protesting today to demand an immediate change to the abortion law from parliamentarians. In Belgium, abortion is still subjected to criminal sanctions that affect women and the doctors who assist them," stressed Lucie Barridez, the coordinator of Abortion Right.
Specifically, the organisation is calling for the total decriminalisation of abortion in Belgium, the removal of the mandatory reflection period, and the extension of the abortion limit to 18 weeks, up from the current 12 weeks.
With the start of the federal parliamentary session, Abortion Right emphasises the discriminatory nature of the current law, which disproportionately affects the most marginalised and disadvantaged individuals.
Jihan Seniora, the coordinator of the activist group Sofelia, explained that an abortion performed abroad, which is not reimbursed by Belgian health insurance, costs "around €1,200, not including travel and accommodation expenses. Hence, not all women have equal access to this option."
