About us

Created in 2011, the Abortion Right platform is a watchdog and action structure that brings together French- and Dutch-speaking partner associations active in the field of sexual and reproductive rights. Its aim is to guarantee the right to voluntary interruption of pregnancy (abortion) and its free and secure access for all women¹ in Belgium, Europe and the rest of the world.

The right to abortion is a fundamental right of women to control their own bodies, and a public health issue. Yet all over the world, in Europe and even in Belgium, many forces endeavour to hinder access to abortion by making women feel guilty and misinforming the public. Moreover, restrictions to abortion are becoming more and more frequent. This is why the members of the platform are mobilizing to make the right to abortion effective and to systematically deconstruct these anti-choice discourses with the help of scientific arguments and the expertise of women and professionals in the field.

Why we are mobilizing:

Since the creation of the Abortion Right platform in 2011, we have been sounding the alarm as attacks, both overt and insidious, have multiplied, hindering access to abortion in several countries.

In Belgium, the conditions of access to abortion have remained virtually unchanged since the first abortion legislation was passed in 1990, and these conditions do not correspond to women’s needs;
25 million unsafe abortions are performed worldwide every year, with potentially fatal consequences for women (39,000 deaths per year according to the WHO);
In Europe, some countries still do not recognize this right (Andorra and Liechtenstein) or are restricting access ever more drastically (Hungary, Poland);
Even in countries where abortion is permitted, access to abortion is neither guaranteed nor necessarily easy: the lack of official and accurate information and the shortage of medical staff are compounded by the guilt and stigmatization of women considering abortion.

In Belgium and many other European countries, the right to abortion – the freedom of women to decide whether or not to continue a pregnancy – is a legal right. We refuse to see it undermined in any way.