Reacting to today’s vote by the Faroese parliament (the ‘Lagtinget’/‘Løgting’) to amend the law to permit access to abortion on request up until the end of the twelfth week of pregnancy, Turið Maria, Director of Amnesty International Faroe Islands said:
“Today’s vote amending the Faroe Islands’ deeply outdated and restrictive abortion law is an important step towards ensuring the provision of safe and legal abortion.
Whilst today’s vote is a positive step, the stark reality remains that those who provide or help facilitate abortion still face criminalization
“It is the result of years of tireless campaigning by activists who have fought to lift restrictions on access to abortion. These restrictions – some of the most severe in Europe -have had a devastating impact on generations of women and other people who need abortion care, endangering lives, jeopardizing health and forcing many to make costly trips abroad, mostly to Denmark.
“Whilst today’s vote is a positive step, the stark reality remains that those who provide or help facilitate abortion still face criminalization. Decriminalizing abortion is essential to ensuring all people who need abortion services, as well as abortion providers, activists and advocates, are not threatened with criminal or other punitive sanctions for accessing, assisting someone to access, or delivering abortion services.”
Background
Faroe Islands are a self-governing autonomous territory within Denmark.
The new abortion law will replace the 1956 Abortion Act that allowed abortions only in cases of rape or incest, life or health of the pregnant woman, foetus impairment or social grounds.
Today’s vote saw MPs voting in favour of the law follows a first vote in parliament on 3 December which passed, 17 votes to 16.
For more information contact press@amnesty.org or Turið Maria Jóhansdóttir at turid@amnesty.fo
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