Keep abortion legal, safe, and accessible

On September 28, International Safe Abortion Day, we stand with a global feminist movement that refuses to back down: abortion is essential healthcare and a human right, and every woman has the right to decide about her own body.

From Tunisia to Italy, Malta to Turkey, the legal status of abortion looks different from one shore to the next — but the silence, stigma, and pressure women face echo across borders. As a feminist, intersectional network, MARA-Med connects these struggles: what one country wins, we all learn from; where one community is pushed back, we all stand together. Even where abortion has been legal for decades, judgment and shame can still stand in the way. Silence around abortion — driven by political, social, and religious pressure — discriminates against women and keeps them from living full, healthy lives. Real access means care without moral judgment, not just a law on the books.

Bodily autonomy is the foundation feminism has always fought for, and everything else stands on it. It means right to choose, right to physical integrity and health, and the right to determine your life trajectory. The right to abortion is key for women to exercise bodily autonomy.  This fight is being carried forward right now, on every continent, by women and feminist movements who refuse to be silenced. Progress isn’t a straight line — but a growing, cross-border community of activists, health workers, and advocates is building power together, sharing strategies, and showing up for one another. This is a shared feminist struggle, and solidarity is how we win it.