Faroe Islands scraps one of Europe’s strictest abortion laws
The Faroe Islands parliament voted on Thursday to legalize abortion by the end of the 12th week of pregnancy, overturning decades-old legislation that banned abortion in most cases.
Previous legislation only allowed abortion in certain cases, such as rape, incest or if the pregnant woman’s health was at risk, and meant the self-governing Danish territory had among the most restrictive abortion policies in Europe.
After a heated parliamentary debate, the decision resulted in MPs voting in favor of the reform by a narrow margin of 17 to 16.
“This is a truly historic day for the Faroe Islands,” said Ingilín Didriksen Strømm, one of four MPs who tabled the bill.
“This change finally confirms women’s autonomy over their own bodies in the Faroe Islands,” Strømm told the BBC.
“It guarantees access to safe healthcare and also protects our freedom to make decisions about our own lives without fear, stigma and blame,” he added.
The new legislation in the Faroe Islands, located between Scotland and Norway, is expected to come into force on July 1 next year, replacing laws dating back to 1956.
According to the law in question, abortion can only be performed in special cases; This includes if there are serious fetal health problems or if the woman is deemed “unfit” to care for the child.
Whether a woman is “fit” is assessed first by a general practitioner and then by a second medical institution before an abortion is authorized. Both the woman and the doctor faced imprisonment if the conditions were not met.
Faroese pro-abortion campaigners argued the law was outdated and undermined women’s rights.
“This is a huge change,” Bjørt Lind of pro-choice campaign group Fritt Val told Danish newspaper Politiken.
“Abortion was so secret and taboo in Faroese society. When we started our work, no one dared to talk about it. It’s gotten much better now,” she says. “But it’s still a big challenge.”
Amnesty International’s Faroe Islands branch told the BBC: “After years of campaigning we finally have legislation that respects the right of women and all pregnant women to have a safe and legal abortion up to the 12th week.”
“This is a big step in terms of securing human rights, the right to bodily autonomy and safe abortion,” the statement said. “And Faroese women do not have to take an expensive trip abroad to have an abortion.”
With access to abortion limited in the Faroe Islands, campaign groups said women often had to travel to Denmark for the procedure.
Danish law has allowed abortion up to 12 weeks since 1973, and in June this year the amendment was made to extend abortion on demand up to 18 weeks.
About 43 countries in Europe allow “abortion on demand” in the early stages of pregnancy, according to the Center for Reproductive Rights. Only five (Andorra, Malta, Liechtenstein, Poland and Monaco) have highly restrictive laws.
Those who opposed the law change in the Faroe Islands argued that the rights of the fetus should be protected.
Erhard Joensen, the lawmaker who voted against Thursday’s bill, told Danish national broadcaster DR that he respected the outcome but did not believe there was much support for the new law.
“We’re going to see some people try to undo this,” he said.
The remote archipelago is home to approximately 56,000 people who speak Faroese and have a distinct cultural identity.
Compared to other Scandinavian countries, society in the Faroe Islands is considered relatively conservative, with more than three-quarters of the population belonging to the Lutheran church.
Previous attempts to liberalize abortion laws have failed. Most recently, in May last year, an almost identical bill ended in a tie vote, falling short of the majority needed to pass the Faroese parliament.
