AS the only country in the European Union that still bans abortion outright, Malta is coming under increasing pressure from its own people to change the law.

In Northern Ireland, abortion is only permitted when there is a risk to the life of the mother, or a serious risk to her physical or mental health. Women can then have an abortion in an NHS or private clinic in Northern Ireland, but Malta has a complete ban, even when pregnancies are caused by rape.

This weekend will see the launch of Voice For Choice, Malta’s first pro-choice coalition, comprising groups such as the Malta Humanist Association, Women’s Rights Foundation and Moviment Graffitti.

Voice For Choice told Malta Today that it is “a coalition of civil society organisations and individuals that together want to work for reproductive rights and justice in Malta”.

On its Facebook page, Voice For Choice states: “We are a grassroots organisation that represents various sectors of our society, as well as individuals that are passionate about reproductive health and rights.”

The page states that despite abortion remaining a criminal act in Malta, women were still seeking to have abortions, adding: “However, this comes at both a financial and a social cost as these women continue to live in fear, stigma and shame in our society.”

Voice For Choice said that Malta was a “compassionate country that has over the decades ensured full inclusivity”, and that “it is time that the laws related to abortion follow suit so as to reflect the reality of people’s lives”.