My Voice, My Choice: A Unique European Citizen’s Initiative to Make Safe Abortion Accessible for All Women within the European Union

Introduction: Over 20 million women in the European Union (EU) still face restricted autonomy over their reproductive choices. While some EU countries have liberalised abortion policies in the last decade, disparities remain: Malta and Poland prohibit abortion on request, and other countries impose legal, financial or procedural barriers. The regression of abortion rights in Poland catalysed the feminist movement My Voice, My Choice.

Objective: This commentary examines how the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) My Voice, My Choice represents a unique step towards improving reproductive rights in the EU and explores its potential implications for women’s health, autonomy and cross-border solidarity. It also situates the initiative within broader issues of gender inequality and public health and contributes to ongoing debates on legal access to safe abortion.

Approach: Using a human rights-based perspective, this commentary discusses the implications of the ECI for women’s health, autonomy and reproductive rights in the EU.

Discussion: The initiative proposes an EU-fund to provide women in restrictive countries access to legal abortion services in Member States where abortion is permitted. Potential benefits include improved health outcomes, enhanced autonomy and strengthened European solidarity. Challenges involve resource allocation in providing countries, limitations in addressing socio-economic disparities and the risk of reducing pressure on restrictive countries to reform domestic abortion laws.

Conclusion: My Voice, My Choice is an example of citizen-driven advocacy that could expand safe abortion access across the EU while protecting women’s rights and health. By promoting voluntarism and solidarity among Member States, a potential legislation could position the EU as a global leader in reproductive rights. The movement highlights that choice is the core of reproductive autonomy.