Renew Europe rings the alarm on SRHR-backlash

The Renew Europe Group in the European Parliament rings the alarm on the worrying backlash on Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) across the EU, calling on the European Commission to undertake its duty to guarantee these rights as fundamental human rights.

In today's plenary debate, our MEPs remind the European Commission about our demand for all Member States to ensure full access to a range of high-quality SRHR, including the right to safe and legal abortion, contraceptive methods and supplies, information on contraception, and sexual education.

MEP Samira Rafaela, Renew Europe's coordinator on the Women's Rights and Gender Equality (FEMM) Committee, said:

”It is unbelievable that still in 2022, some Member States have laws restricting and even banning abortion, forcing women to seek unsafe alternatives that could endanger their lives. The recent developments in Poland are just the tip of the iceberg, with similar restricting laws being discussed in other Member States such as Croatia, Slovakia and Lithuania. Renew Europe will continue to be at the forefront of combatting these setbacks.”

MEP Chrysoula Zacharopoulou, Member of the FEMM Committee and Member of the European Parliament’s group ”All of Us”, says:

”If we really want to achieve gender equality, there is one indispensable condition: the respect for sexual and reproductive health and rights. The right to abortion is a fundamental right, and we should include it in the EU charter, as President Emmanuel Macron said yesterday. And we need you all to make the Simone Veil Pact a reality."