[Global Overview] Fight for Abortion Rights: How Ultra-Conservatives Interpret Human Rights

dossier

"Ultra-conservative organizations have had abortion rights in their sights for a long time. (...) Kristina Stoeckl, professor of sociology at the University of Innsbruck, describes this as a re-framing, i.e. a reinterpretation of human rights. "The re-framing of human rights has a longer history and goes back to the 1970s," she explains. "Above all, it was about abortion. Conservative forces, especially in the USA, who have spoken out against abortion have noticed that arguments that focus on the sinfulness of abortions or the sinfulness of women who commit abortions, that these arguments are not fruitful." This is also why ultra-conservatives around the world are starting to talk about the right to life instead of divine commandments. (…) This strategy came to Europe from the USA…”Article by Lisa Westhäßer from November 1, 2021 on Deutschlandfunk Kultur – see more from this and our international overview (Germany and international above):

• Popular initiative “Deadline solution for Liechtenstein” in a country where abortion is still a taboo topic: people against prince
  “…The majority are the bourgeois parties, including the Fatherland Union (VU) and the Democrats for Liechtenstein (DpL). There are seventeen men and eight women who decide on the laws and thus on the future of the country in the minimalist building with the striking pointed roof - or on women's bellies and their right to reproductive self-determination. With a wafer-thin majority of 13 to 12 votes, the state parliament approved the deadline solution at the end of August.
  What initially looks like a triumph for the initiators is also a shock for them. At the same time, Parliament decided that there should be no referendum on the initiative. (…)
  The head of state now has six months to sign the law - otherwise it will not come into force. Hereditary Prince Alois, who already represents his father, has announced his rejection.
  When most people think of Liechtenstein, they think of banks and mountains, and few think of policies that can plunge women into financial and moral dilemmas. The principality has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe, comparable to Poland, Andorra, Malta or Monaco. The “Ländle” is a constitutional hereditary monarchy on a democratic-parliamentary basis, with the prince having unusually extensive powers compared to other Western European monarchs. He can dismiss the government or individual ministers, appoint judges, propose changes to the law and veto such or even referendums. (…)
  Dozens of demolitions in the neighboring country
  Since 2004, Hereditary Prince Alois has been in charge of government as deputy to his father, Prince Hans-Adam II. His main concern now is that the popular initiative submitted by the Free List does not provide enough protection for unborn life. (…)
  In February, Tatjana As’Ad and six colleagues submitted the initiative to amend the Criminal Code and the Health Insurance Act: the “Deadline Solution for Liechtenstein”. They managed to collect 4,969 signatures. That corresponds to a quarter of all eligible voters. Only 1000 signatures would have been necessary. The initiators demand that an abortion within the first three months after prior medical advice can also be carried out without penalty in Liechtenstein and that the costs for this are covered.
  In Liechtenstein, abortions are only permitted under very narrow circumstances, such as when the woman's life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape. Anyone who carries out an abortion beyond the legally permitted circumstances can be punished. Doctors face a prison sentence of up to one year, and up to three years for commercial violations. The law provides for a prison sentence of up to one year for women. The restrictions force women to travel abroad for an abortion - mainly to Austria or Switzerland. (…)
  Liechtenstein last voted on the legalization of abortion in 2011. At that time, 52 percent of those who voted rejected the proposal. Hereditary Prince Alois had threatened in advance that he would emigrate if he voted yes. However, the debate was initiated and resulted in abortion abroad being unpunished since 2015. (…)
  Of course, there are still informal networks. There are organizations that provide financial support to women in such a situation. The website imwithher.info went online at the end of 2022. It was initiated by an anonymous group from Liechtenstein and provides information about counseling services and clinics in the area that perform abortions…”Article by Çiğdem Akyol, Vaduz, in the WoZ of September 17, 2026 (“People against prince”), seehttps://www.imwithher.info/ : Unplanned and/or unwanted pregnancy in Liechtenstein? You're not alone.
• Hypocritical fundamentalists: opponents of abortion network internationally and hijack counseling services
  "The extreme right is networking globally - this also applies to its decidedly misogynistic and anti-feminist actors. In mid-September, a conference by the organization Heartbeat International will take place in Berlin in the run-up to the so-called March for Life. The aim of the organization is that women and girls should not have the opportunity to end pregnancies. From Germany, among others, Cornelia Kaminski, federal chairwoman of the organization "Aktion Lebenrecht für aller" (ALFA), will speak at the event. This also mobilizes strongly for the "March for that" every year Life", which is taking place at the same time in Berlin and Cologne. The event is mainly supported by Christian fundamentalists who exchange ideas with the extreme right. Politicians from the AfD are regular and welcome participants in the demonstration, but individual representatives of the CDU have also already supported the absolute ban on abortion, i.e. the forced termination of every pregnancy. Heartbeat International operates so-called Crisis Pregnancy Centers worldwide in order to specifically target unwanted pregnant women Contact points where people who are unsure whether they want to continue a pregnancy can receive advice. However, research by the US media platform Open Democracy shows that the advice is clearly directed against abortions. The counselors even lie and claim that abortions cause mental illness and even cancer.The whole thing is reminiscent of a study that the then Health Minister Jens Spahn (CDU) initiated in 2019 on the psychological consequences of abortions. The original aim was to find scientific support for the alleged post-abortion syndrome. However, the study showed that there is no evidence that abortions have serious psychological consequences for those affected. On the contrary, there is a clear connection between the possibility of abortion and the (feared) stigmatization and mental health of women. And yet there are still entire areas of Germany where it is not possible for pregnant women to have an abortion close to their place of residence. Heartbeat International is currently facing court in the US state of California. (…) »Heartbeat International exploits extreme emergency or stressful situations in which unwanted pregnant women find themselves. The Christian fundamentalists manipulate under the guise of neutral advice and deliberately spread health-threatening disinformation in order to discourage abortion. Heartbeat International poses a danger to unintentionally pregnant women! The fact that the German anti-abortion movement is inviting people to the Heartbeat International conference clearly shows the close ties between this movement and the fascist and anti-feminist MAGA milieu in the USA," says Ella Nowak, press spokeswoman for the What-the-fuck alliance, summarizing the entanglements. The alliance is organizing counter-protests to the March for Life on September 19th in Berlin.” Article by Claudia Wrobel in the Junge Welt from September 4, 2026 
• How the retirement of the director of gynecology at the Essen University Hospital after 25 years will improve the availability of abortions throughout the region
  • Criticism after interview: Essen doctor rejects abortions
    "Rainer Kimmig is director of the department of gynecology at the Essen University Hospital. In an interview with the Westdeutsche Allgemeine Zeitung (WAZ) he says that he refuses to carry out abortions for reasons of conscience. (...) For him it is a question of ethics - the doctor continues. He has no religious reasons for his decision. He would also refuse to provide euthanasia. (...) The Essen University Medical Center made it clear in a statement on Tuesday that Kimmig's attitude is his personal belief. At the same time, the clinic points out the legal situation: According to the Pregnancy Conflict Act, no medical staff is forced to participate in an abortion (...) In this context, the head of a central pregnancy conflict counseling center in Essen criticizes the effects of the chief doctor's attitude “But due to the personal attitude of the clinic director, practically no abortions are carried out at the university clinic,” said head Nicola Völckel to the WAZ. She therefore criticizes the fact that the university clinic, as a maximum provider and state-financed hospital, does not provide this important medical service and that this causes problems for care in the entire region. (…) The network “FIVE – Feminism, Intersectionality and Diversity in Essen” protested against Kimmig’s statements in front of the university hospital in the afternoon.The whole thing is also a supply problem, says Rebekka Höch, who registered the protest for FIVE. Around 800 women per year in Essen alone receive a consultation certificate from the AWO after a conversation about an abortion, Höch told WDR. But there is only one practice in Essen that carries out abortions: “The women are ringing the bell now.” According to the Doctors for Choice Germany network, which advocates for the right to abortion, there is another practice in Essen that carries out similar procedures. (…) Criticism also comes from the “Medical Students for Choice” initiative – medical students for freedom of choice. A spokeswoman asks how it could be that one of the largest hospitals in North Rhine-Westphalia - and one paid for with public money - refuses such an operation? (…) The gynecologist Rainer Kimmig will retire as planned in July 2026. The Essen University Medical Center announces that it will in future offer abortions in all indications within the framework of the legal requirements in accordance with the state mandate.” WDR report from May 20, 2026 
  • Statement from the Essen University Medical Center on the current reporting on Prof. Kimmig and abortions
    “The statements made by Prof. Kimmig about abortion are his personal conviction, based on humanistic values, to preserve life. The Essen University Medical Center has so far accepted this view in its approximately 25 years of activity. (…) In July 2026, Prof. Kimmig will retire as planned and the position as director of the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics will be filled accordingly. In the future, the Essen University Medical Center intends to offer abortions for all indications within the framework of the legal requirements in accordance with the state mandate…”Press release from May 19, 2026 
  • See also: Dossier:The Christian Lippstadt Clinic bans abortions after the merger: 60 doctors protest against this and the head of gynecology is suing
• EU funds rejected in Europe: “My Voice, My Choice” initiative fought (with 1.2 million signatures) for safe access to abortions across the EU
  • Despite a million signatures: No new EU fund for safe abortions
    “More than a million Europeans are calling for an EU fund for safe abortions. Women in countries with strict rules should particularly benefit from this. However, the European Commission rejects this. (…)
    EU Commission refers to European Social Fund Plus
    The EU Commission now responded that EU support could already be provided through the European Social Fund Plus. EU countries could use it to improve access to safe abortions. “Now we must ensure that Member States are fully aware of these tools,” said EU Commissioner for Equality Hadja Lahbib. The organizers of the citizens' initiative were satisfied with the Commission's clarification that funds from the Social Fund Plus could be used…”RND/dpa report from February 27, 2026 
  • Abortion rights: stop the suffering and death of women across the EU
    “Nika Kovač on the citizens' initiative for EU-wide safe access to abortion…”Interview by Laurie Stührenberg and Nikola Budzińska from February 25, 2026 in ND online – the Slovenian activist Nika Kovač (33) is co-initiator of the European citizens’ initiative “My Voice My Choice”. It calls for every person in the EU to have access to safe abortions - regardless of the laws in their own country. Over a million people from several Member States have supported the initiative. In December, the European Parliament signaled by a clear majority its support for a voluntary solidarity mechanism through which the EU would provide financial support for abortions in other countries. The EU Commission wants to announce this Thursday whether and what measures it wants to take in response to the initiative.
  • See this“My Voice My Choice” initiative and therethe signature collection for safe and accessible abortions in Europe
  • Abortion in Europe: Abortion without borders
    “Unintentionally pregnant women sometimes have to travel across Europe. The “My Voice, My Choice” initiative has an idea that the EU Commission now has to deal with…”Report from February 25, 2026 in the taz online from Warsaw, Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig by Laurie Stührenberg and Nikola Budzińska
• Letter to Minister Dorothee Bär: We are not birthing machines
  “There should be more money for research into gynecological diseases. But if you want to improve women's health, you also have to legalize abortion. (…)
  It is never too late to correct a problem. And I believe you if you are annoyed that medication is still largely aimed at men, that diseases such as endometriosis and lipedema are not properly researched and that crash test dummies have only recently been modeled on women's bodies.
  But if you really care about the health of half the population, it's not enough to address these individual research deficiencies. They must initiate a fundamental rethink in politics, medicine and health insurance companies. Action must be taken according to the maxim: The health of women and queer people counts! And even if you don't want to have children. We are not birthing machines.
  Anyone who cares about the health of women and queers must ensure that they are allowed to decide for themselves about their bodies. Everything else is hypocritical. And of course physical self-determination also includes the legalization of abortions. The majority of the German population has long been in favor of it, but conservative forces like your party are the ones who consciously want to further restrict basic rights.
  And there are other measures that would help combat medical disadvantage: the free provision of contraceptives, a less conservative idea of ​​whose wishes to have children are supported and which bodies can be affected by gynecological diseases. But mandatory seminars for medical staff about the cycle and possible illnesses of women and queers can also relieve pain and, in the best case, save lives…”Article by Carolina Schwarz from January 23, 2026 in the taz online 
• [New Amnesty report] Abortion in Europe: When rights do not apply to everyone
  “A new Amnesty report shows how difficult abortions remain in Europe despite legal regulations.Pregnant people are exposed to unnecessary risks. Governments must act now!
  In Europe, women, girls and people who can become pregnant have had more rights in recent years: many countries haveAbortion legalizedand the criminalization of abortion was partially lifted. 
  Activists andcivil society organizations have made a significant contribution to these reforms with their efforts. The result is that sexual and reproductive rights - i.e. fundamental rights to self-determination over one's own body - are being recognized by more and more states. Despite these improvements, access to safe and legal abortion continues to be regulated differently in European countries and is sometimes associated with high hurdles. In addition, anti-human rights groups are doing everything they can to further restrict access to abortion - often by spreading fear and misinformation.
  In onenew, comprehensive report Amnesty International analyzed the situation regarding abortion in a total of 40 European countries. The results of the research show how difficult abortions remain in Europe despite legal regulations. This exposes pregnant people to unnecessary risks and endangers them.
  Amnesty International's central demand: abortion is part of basic medical care and is a human right. Governments must fully decriminalize abortion and remove all barriers.
  In brief: What are the biggest barriers to safe abortion?  Although there are legal advances, access to abortion in Europe remains difficult for many people. The biggest obstacles are…”Post from November 6th, 2025 at Amnesty.de 
• [International Safe Abortion Day on September 28th] Right-wing, global goal: Control over women's bodies
  • Where Europe's abortion laws are strictest
    “The trend towards liberalization is not everywhere: financial hurdles and mandatory cooling-off periods hinder self-determination in many countries
    “Criminalization doesn’t stop abortions – it just makes them less safe,” was the central message from Noemi Grütter, women’s rights expert at the Swiss section of Amnesty International, on the occasion of the presentation of a report on the legal situation in Europe in Geneva. Safe access to abortion is a public health issue and should be treated as such, she said, describing the human rights organization's stance.
    Many European countries are still a long way from achieving this goal, although there is a trend towards liberalization in most of them. "The data clearly shows that many European countries are continually improving their abortion laws and policies and aligning them with international human rights standards and recommendations from the World Health Organization," explained Leah Hoctor. She is the vice president of the Center for Reproductive Rights, which this week published the report "European Abortion Laws 2025 - Policies, Progress and Challenges."…”Article by Claudia Wangerin from September 26th, 2025 in ND online 
  • Right goal: control over women's bodies
    “Self-proclaimed pro-life activists are fighting with all means to block access to an abortion for unwanted pregnant women…”Article by Jana Frielinghaus from September 26th, 2025 in ND online 
  • And all the informationhttps://www.september28.org/ 
• No general exclusion zone in front of abortion clinics: VGH Bavaria sees only limited pressure on pregnant women during demonstrations against abortions
  “…According to a decision by the Bavarian Administrative Court (BayVGH), there is no fundamental “ban mile” of 100 meters around abortion clinics. The Munich court decided that the Pregnancy Conflict Act (SchKG) does not provide for a zone in which critical opinions on abortion are generally prohibited (decision of September 23, 2025, ref. 10 C 25.1591, 10 CS 25.1672). So-called “sidewalk harassment”, such as preventing pregnant women from entering the clinic or intimidating them while doing so, has been prohibited since an amendment to the SchKG in 2024 (see Section 8 Para. 2 SchKG). However, a restriction on such gatherings near a doctor's office is only permissible "if there is evidence in individual cases that this puts undue pressure on pregnant women," the Court made clear. (…) The pregnant women are confronted with the negative attitude of the demonstrators. But you don’t have to “run the gauntlet” to the clinic. Such a pressure situation would be a prerequisite for the blanket exclusion zone around the medical center. (…) The decision of the BayVGH is incontestable.” Report from September 26, 2025 from and at LTO (“No general exclusion zone in front of abortion clinics”)
• Alliances against self-determination: The right to abortion is under global attack 
  “German abortion opponents are supported by US pro-life organizations - not only strategically, but also financially. (…) “Abortion opponents in Germany are watching closely which tactics have been successful in the USA and drawing inspiration from them,” says Elodie Fischer from the Berlin branch of thewomen's collective , a socialist women's group. But what strategies have anti-abortion activists adopted from the United States? How does international networking manifest itself specifically? Does money also flow from the USA to Germany?
  One of the most recent examples of international networking concerns the designated constitutional judge Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf. She withdrew her candidacy after a smear campaign. One of the key groups in the campaign against them was CitizenGO. The multinational conservative organization based in Spain had the petition “No radical anti-life activist in the Federal Constitutional Court: Vote against Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf!” brought into being. It provided the more than 148,000 signatories with the formulations with which they could address members of the CDU and CSU directly. “Victory!” the organization announced on August 7th when Brosius-Gersdorf withdrew.
  Fight against Brosius-Gersdorf part of a larger strategy
  Similar statements from CitizenGO about winning campaigns in the US followed. For example, after Trump ended federal funding for foreign groups that support abortion access and pardoned prisoners convicted of blocking abortion clinics and harassing patients. (…)
  The justices Trump appointed during his first term contributed their votes to the Supreme Court's decision in Roe v. Wade repealed the 1973 Act, ending U.S. citizens' constitutional right to abortion in 2022. The “Project 2025” strategy paper, which was formulated by personalities with close ties to the current government, calls, among other things, for the shipping of abortion medications to be banned. This is supposed to be enforced using a largely outdated law from 1873 called the Comstock Act.
  That would also be possible in Germany. “Access to abortion drugs in Germany could similarly be further restricted if existing laws are interpreted more strictly,” says Annika Kreitlow, an assistant doctor in gynecology and obstetrics in Berlin. Currently, in order to prescribe mifepristone and misoprostol to her patients in accordance with German law, she must order these abortion drugs from other European countries or directly from the manufacturer instead of purchasing them from “normal pharmacies”. Delivery can take up to six weeks. (…)
  Elodie Fischer from the women's collective also points to the ban on telemedicine consultations about abortions passed by the Bavarian state parliament in December. “If you can’t change national law, you turn to the federal states,” says Fischer. “This strategy is similar to that in the United States.”
  Relationships between organizations in Germany and the USA also exist in financial terms, such as a current oneReport of the European Parliamentary Forum on Sexual and Reproductive Rights shows: Conservative organizations in the USA provide large financial resources for anti-abortion movements in Europe. As of 2019, the Christian right in the US spent around $22 million annually on European organizations that undermine gender equality…”Article by Caroline Smith from September 13, 2025 in the taz online 
• Elsa study shows major supply bottlenecks for unwanted pregnant women - will the SPD, which wants to oblige public hospitals to offer abortions, prevail?
  • The SPD wants to oblige public hospitals to offer abortions - the Union rejects this.
    "The medical care for unintentionally pregnant women is patchy in many regions of Germany. This emerges from the latest "Elsa" study, which deals with the situation of affected women. Carmen Wegge, legal policy spokeswoman for the SPD parliamentary group in the Bundestag, described the care situation in the "taz" as "dramatic." "From our point of view, public hospitals should be obliged to carry out abortions," as should religious hospitals that are publicly financed, said Wegge. (...) The The SPD is also seeking a new regulation of paragraph 218, which regulates the criminalization of abortions. Coalition partner Union sees it differently. Anja Weisgerber, deputy chairwoman of the Union parliamentary group, told the "taz" that the results of the study would be examined, but we reject a new regulation of abortions "outside the criminal code." Of these 85, 43 are in Bavaria and eight each in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia. "The results show that in some regions of Germany there is insufficient access to abortion services," write the authors, including scientists from Fulda University and the University of Leipzig. Report from August 15, 2025 in Spiegel online (“SPD wants to oblige public hospitals to offer abortions”)
  • Final reports on the psychosocial situation and support needs of women with unwanted pregnancies published
    “An unplanned and unwanted pregnancy presents affected women and families with a challenging life situation and can be associated with particular psychosocial stress.  The joint project “Experiences and life situations of unintentionally pregnant women – advice and care offers” (ELSA) has collected scientific findings on the key influencing factors on the experience and processing of an unwanted pregnancy, the care situation and the needs of affected women in Germany and thus developed starting points for an improved situation…”Report from August 13, 2025 from the Federal Ministry of Health 
  • Experts: Major supply bottlenecks for unintentionally pregnant women
    “Elsa study: Many women have to overcome high hurdles to end a pregnancy
    The result of the Elsa study is not surprising and is in line with journalistic research in recent years and reports from advisory networks such as Pro Familia: According to the final reports on the research project now published by the Federal Ministry of Health, medical care for unintentionally pregnant women is patchy in many German regions. Many have to travel long distances for the procedure and are also difficult to get a consultation appointment during the period in which an abortion is possible without penalty. Women who want to end a pregnancy must take part in compulsory counseling and then have to wait another three days, after which the procedure can be carried out without penalty. According to the Ministry of Health, for the so-called joint project “Experiences and life situations of unintentionally pregnant women – offers of advice and care”, “Elsa” for short, “scientific findings were collected on the key influencing factors on the experience and processing of an unwanted pregnancy, the care situation and the needs of affected women”. The authors were also tasked with making suggestions for improving the current situation. (…) According to this, the availability of offers to carry out the demolition is poor, especially in Rhineland-Palatinate, Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria. A key sentence in the short report on the study is: "On the way to an abortion, four out of five women and therefore the majority encountered at least one barrier, and one in three women even encountered three or more barriers."…”Article by Jana Frielinghaus from August 14, 2025 in ND online 
  •  How the Union deals with the “Elsa” study: silence by Nina Warken
    “The scientific study on unwanted pregnant women is disrupting the Union's culture war. Objectivity is urgently required…”Comment by Amelie Sittenauer from August 14, 2025 in the taz online 
  • See the dossier for the current background:The Christian Lippstadt Clinic bans abortions after the merger: 60 doctors protest against this and the head of gynecology is suing
• Paragraph 218: Campaign power against women's self-determination
  “The Brosius-Gersdorf case shines a spotlight on the most reactionary circles who want to prevent the legalization of abortion
  Governments like to rely on a majority of the people whose concerns must be taken seriously and whose demands must be implemented. At least when it comes to tightening asylum law. But when it comes to treating women as responsible subjects, for example, federal politics finds it difficult to grant them self-determination rights that are actually self-evident. Then the opinion of the overwhelming majority doesn't matter.
  This can be clearly seen in the tough debate about deleting Section 218 from the Criminal Code, which has actually been going on for more than half a century. In surveys, around 80 percent of citizens have repeatedly spoken out in favor of finally decriminalizing abortion, at least in the first twelve weeks after conception. (…)
  The legal scientist Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf, as a member of the expert commission on reproductive self-determination and reproductive medicine, had also spoken out in favor of such a regulation, according to which abortion in the first three months of pregnancy would finally be legal, which had drawn up a report on behalf of the traffic light government on how this legalization could be made legally secure. The fact that the experts' suggestions did not become law ultimately has nothing to do with the traffic light breaking down at the beginning of November 2024. Rather, the then Health Minister Karl Lauterbach (SPD) and Justice Minister Marco Buschmann (FDP) put the brakes on a traffic light legislative initiative. They now wanted to speak and negotiate again with all the relevant actors in order to avoid an alleged major social conflict. However, this conflict only exists because representatives of the self-proclaimed pro-life milieu are very well organized and internationally networked and because they make their positions heard loudly. Its lobbyists have proven to have enormous influence on federal politics, even though they represent a minority. (…)
  The now successful right-wing conservative campaign against the election of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf as constitutional judge is ultimately just an example of the increasing power that opponents of abortion and thus the self-determination of women have in German society…”Article by Jana Frielinghaus from August 8th, 2025 in ND online 
  • See also the current restrictive court ruling in the dossier:The Christian Lippstadt Clinic bans abortions after the merger: 60 doctors protest against this and the head of gynecology is suing
• Coalition agreement on paragraph 218: An explosive sentence. According to the coalition agreement, the coverage of abortion costs is to be expanded
  "It's a good development for friends of rational entertainment: The cultural debate about the appointment of Frauke Brosius-Gersdorf is turning away from Brosius-Gersdorf as a person and towards a substantive debate. It's about a harmless-sounding sentence about the financing of abortions, which made it into the coalition agreement shortly before the end - and is now showing its true explosive power. For the discussion that is now sparking about this sentence, we first have to go back a few steps: How Are abortions currently regulated by law in Germany?
  Paragraph 218a states that an abortion is not illegal if it is necessary for medical reasons or there is a criminological indication, i.e. the pregnancy is based on rape. In these cases, statutory health insurance covers the costs of an abortion. Der überwiegende Großteil an Schwangerschaftsabbrüchen findet jedoch nach der sogenannten Beratungslösung statt: Eine Abtreibung ist zwar rechtswidrig, bleibt aber straffrei, wenn sie innerhalb der ersten zwölf Wochen nach der Befruchtung erfolgt und zuvor eine Beratung stattgefunden hat; A three-day waiting period must be observed and the procedure must be carried out by a doctor. However, the pregnant person has to pay themselves. The coalition agreement now states: "We are expanding the coverage of costs by statutory health insurance beyond the current regulations." For Brosius-Gersdorf, this means: An expansion of the coverage of costs can only mean reimbursement for an abortion according to this counseling solution. This is also how the SPD member of the Bundestag and legal scholar Carmen Wegge sees it. (…)
  Kathrin Gebel, women's policy spokeswoman for the Left Party in the Bundestag, assumes that the CDU could "find a loophole in the vague coalition agreement and prevail against the SPD again." The alleged expansion could only affect a few “marginal services”, such as covering the costs of advice, aftercare and precisely those income limits. “This one sentence reads progressively, but it is a placebo,” says Gebel “nd.” As long as Section 218 of the Criminal Code continues to apply, abortion will remain a criminal offense. The left-wing politician refers to a current representative survey by the opinion research institute Forsa: According to this, almost three quarters of people in Germany are in favor of allowing abortions within the first twelve weeks in the future - without restrictions. Experiences from other countries also show that pregnant women use this freedom responsibly, says Gebel. “Anyone who continues to adhere to the current regulations is not trusting pregnant women with autonomy over this decision.” Article by Anton Benz from July 22, 2025 in New Germany online 
• The 129th German Medical Association has spoken out in favor of a step towards decriminalizing abortions - especially for doctors 
  • Doctors' Day for Reform: "There is a real emergency in terms of care." Doctors no longer want to be criminalized for abortions
    “[At its meeting in Leipzig last Friday, the German Medical Association called for the conditions for timely abortions in Germany to be regulated outside of the criminal code. Paragraph 218 should be deleted, but the obligation to consult with a three-day reflection period should remain. How do you rate that?]
    The decision of the Doctors' Day is a milestone for women's health. Abortion is basic medical care and should finally be decriminalized.
    [Critics continue to see the Doctors' Day decision as paternalism towards women and self-subordination on the part of doctors. Do you share this opinion?]
    Of course, it would be necessary to fully realize sexual, physical and reproductive self-determination. We still see the decision as a success on the way to achieving our goal, after the traffic light government failed to reform Section 218 of the Criminal Code. The commission she appointed made a clear recommendation on this; but also while maintaining the obligation to provide advice. Nevertheless, it would have been a historic step. (…)
    The fact is that there is a real supply crisis. And doctors are fed up with being further criminalized. (…)
    Many of the politically minded gynecologists who still perform abortions are now retiring. Those who essentially have one foot in prison when they provide medical services obviously don't like doing it. The merger of church-run clinics has resulted in increasingly poorer care because the Catholic side prohibits abortions. (…)Germany is backward compared to other countries with restrictions due to counseling obligations, waiting times and comparatively short deadlines for abortion. The World Health Organization, on the other hand, takes a clear position against any obstacle.”Interview by Gitta Düperthal in the young world from June 6th, 2025 with Kersten Artus – Kersten Artus is deputy chairwoman of Pro Choice Deutschland e. V. The association was founded by women around the doctor Kristina Hänel, who successfully fought for Paragraph 219a of the Criminal Code (“ban on advertising for abortions”) to be deleted
  • Doctors' Day for the decriminalization of abortion
    "After a comprehensive, sometimes emotional debate, the 129th German Medical Association voted in favor of decriminalizing abortions. The medical parliament adopted several corresponding motions today in Leipzig. A large majority of delegates approved the motion of a group led by Lydia Berendes (North Rhine Medical Association), which aims to regulate abortion in the first trimester outside of the criminal code. A mandatory advisory service should remain in place. The result of the vote was with a lot Applause received. Several studies indicate that the provision of care will improve significantly as a result of decriminalization, Berendes said in the debate. It is also important to improve structural conditions in a child's life - from child poverty to violence and abuse to daycare places - in another proposal on the subject from a group led by Birgit Wulff (Hamburg Medical Association), which was also accepted, arguing that decriminalization eliminates stigma and protects pregnant women and doctors. Carrying out abortions relieves the burden. Here, too, it is expected that medical care for pregnant women can be improved (…) It is important to maintain that “doctors can freely decide whether to carry out abortions or not to do so on the basis of a personal conscience decision”. (…) Anyone who carries out abortions must be effectively protected from harassment, threats and attacks…” Report from May 29, 2025 in the German Medical Journal online 
  • Abortion: decriminalization with limits
    “Ulrike Henning on an ambiguous decision by the Doctors' Day (…) Because it only concerns abortions in the first three months of pregnancy. And from the perspective of doctors, there should still be an obligation to provide advice and a three-day reflection period. One advantage of decriminalization for the professional group: Doctors who carry out the procedure or prescribe the corresponding medication would be less hostile.
    The vote is partly celebrated as a compromise that conservatives could now also go along with. However, this means that doctors fall short of their own general standards. Because it is (actually) a modern standard to make informed decisions together with patients. And patients. But there still seems to be a long way to go until the day when women are generally accepted as experts in their own lives rather than as needy to be lectured and never mature individuals.”Comment by Ulrike Henning from June 1st, 2025 in ND online 
• Fundis and right hand in hand. “March for Life” in Munich: Clerical and AfD united in opposition to self-determined right to abortion 
  "Ultimately there were significantly fewer than the organizers of the "Voice of the Silent" had announced in advance: around 2,000 participants marched through Munich last Saturday in the so-called March for Life. The previous trend of the march, which has grown every year, is now likely to have ended, commented the protest movement "Pro Choice" on its website. The alliance once again criticizes this fifth Munich march as an "attack on the right to physical and sexual self-determination." While the number of participants has fallen, the March opened further to the right. In a statement from the Munich Information Center for Right-Wing Extremism (FIRM), it says: The march offers groups a platform on which they can "stage their ideas of a patriarchal gender order." This goes hand in hand with targeted attacks on feminist achievements, queer realities of life and the right to abortion AfD officials such as Franz Schmid and Jan Schiffers, who sit in the Bavarian state parliament, and Christoph Rätscher from the AfD in Munich. Robin Mengele from the Identitarian Movement in Augsburg and Tim Schulz from the right-wing collective movement "Together for Germany" were also present from the right-wing clerical spectrum such as "Tradition, Family, Private Property" and "Christian Monarchy", which aggressively railed against abortion “Pro Choice” spoke to Deutschlandfunk about a “relevant place for right-wing networking.”Representatives of the AfD have been taking part in the march for years. The so-called pro-life movement is making less and less effort to conceal its legal openness, says FIRM. Under the guise of a “Pro Life” narrative, “anti-democratic, anti-feminist and misanthropic positions” are being conveyed. (…) But for Munich, the “Pro Choice” alliance was able to report a successful counter-demonstration. A spontaneous interim rally succeeded in delaying the planned start of the Fundi march. The alliance calls for unrestricted access to free and safe abortions. With a view to the coming federal government, however, there is a fear that “the signs point to regression.” Article by Gitta Düperthal in the young world from May 9, 2025 
• On the penetrance of the compulsory motherhood - a book about fascist reproductive politics in Austria and an absurd example on March 8th in Innsbruck
  • [Book about fascist reproductive politics in Austria] On the penetrance of the compulsory motherhood
    “What does it mean specifically when abortion is criminalized? This is what “Abortion Offense” shows – with gains in knowledge for the present
    On November 11, 1947, 24-year-old Sheli V. arrived in Vienna with her husband Itzig, her two-year-old daughter Lydia and her mother Sofia. The family came from Iași, Romania, which is notorious for an anti-Semitic massacre." The Holocaust survivor is one of the many women Sylvia Köchl talks about in her book “Offense Abortion. Poverty among women, unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions”. The case history also tells us: Shortly after her arrival in Vienna, on the (…)
    “Abortion Offense” combines court files from the time when abortions were still criminalized in Austria – as we know, not long ago, namely 1974 – with concrete case histories of those affected. The connection to the present is also established, for example through the chronology “While I am working on this book”, in which, in addition to many aggravations of the situation, also – and this is important! – the successful feminist struggles are called. In the introduction, Köchl also formulates the central concern of the book: She is “primarily interested in how poor people dealt with unwanted pregnancies in a time when abortion was illegal, while at the same time good contraceptives were still missing (or unaffordable for them). (…) In dealing with the abortion case, as Köchl explains it, civil society once again shows itself to be class rule. It is only logical that the evidence for this comes from the field of justice (…) Also relevant for our present: Köckl's period of investigation includes the time of National Socialism in Austria and thus documents the fascist approach to female reproductive capacity. Unsurprisingly, this turned out to be particularly cruel, the social-chauvinistic stigmatization was drastic - calls for denunciations, attribution of "anti-sociality" and so on - and the punishments for everyone involved were draconian. (…) But patriarchal-authoritarian times have long since set in again, and that cannot happen without tough access to women's reproductive self-determination…”Review by Tanja Röckemann from March 6th, 2025 in ND online von Sylvia Köchl: «Delikt Abtreibung. Poverty among women, unwanted pregnancies and illegal abortions. Mandelbaum-Verlag, br., 254 pages, €22. – See current reference:
  • On International Women's Day: 20 arrests at an anti-abortion demonstration in Tyrol
    “…20 people were arrested at a demonstration by abortion opponents in downtown Innsbruck on Saturday afternoon. The so-called “March for Life” was met with an unannounced counter-demonstration by abortion advocates. Several people disrupted the registered demo by, among other things, sit-ins and were then arrested, it was said.
    Unannounced demo was disbanded
    The “March for Life” was able to continue its planned protest and was not interrupted. The unannounced demonstration, however, was broken up. The arrested people were taken to the police detention center…”Report from March 8th, 2025 in krone.at 
• [Germany] Anti-abortion lobby successful? The legalization of abortions in the first 12 weeks failed due to resistance from the Union and the FDP
  • Bundestag: Abortion law reform failed for the time being
    “The proposed law to legalize abortions in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy has failed for the time being. There was no majority in the Bundestag's Legal Affairs Committee to put the issue on the agenda in the plenary session of Parliament before the election on February 23rd. A necessary special meeting of the committee did not take place due to resistance from the Union and the FDP. The CDU right-wing politician Krings said that the draft to legalize abortion was incompatible with the standards that the Federal Constitutional Court had set for regulating abortion.
    The SPD and the Greens, who had pushed the project forward together with the Left Party, reacted with disappointment. In a joint statement, the Green Party parliamentary group's women's policy spokeswoman, Schauws, and the SPD right-wing politician Wegge described it as a "fatal signal for democracy" that the Union and the FDP "are not willing to enable normal parliamentary processes“…”Report fromFebruary 11, 2025 on Deutschlandfunk 
  • Paragraph 218: FDP apparently sees women as immature beings
    Comment by Jana Frielinghaus from February 10, 2025 in ND online on how the FDP deals with women's right to self-determination
  • FDP is not participating: reform of abortion paragraph 218 has probably failed
    “The reform of abortion paragraph 218 has probably finally failed for this election period. The FDP does not want to support a special meeting of the Legal Affairs Committee after the expert hearing this Monday, as deputy committee chairman Thorsten Lieb (FDP) confirmed to t-online. This means that the necessary majority is probably missing. However, a special session would be the prerequisite for the bill to be put to a vote in the plenary session. (…)
    At the end of last year, 328 members of parliament submitted the non-party group proposal to the Bundestag. Right from the start, only 39 votes were missing from a secure majority in the Bundestag. The supporters were now confident that they had the necessary majority of 367. However, the bill would have had to be brought back from the Legal Affairs Committee to the plenary session of the Bundestag so that the second and third reading could have taken place there. Die erste Voraussetzung dafür wäre gewesen, den Gesetzentwurf nach der Expertenanhörung heute um 17 Uhr im Rechtsausschuss abzuschließen. However, this is clearly failing due to a lack of a majority for a special meeting of the committee. The supporters had already complained about a blockade by the Union and FDP in the committee…”Contribution by Johannes Bebermeier from February 10, 2025 on t-online 
  • “Tomorrow, the radical abortion opponent, entrepreneur and new right-wing publisher Kristijan Aufiero will have the opportunity to speak out against the partial legalization of abortions in the Bundestag's legal committee. The “Alternative for Germany” appointed him to the committee. The abortion opponents from “1000plus-Profemina” are of course very happy. Information is provided via newsletter, a banner is placed on the website and there are several posts on the company's social networks announcing Aufiero's appearance
    A text from “1000plus-Profemina” claims that the new law would prevent counseling for unwanted and unplanned pregnant women. Aufiero gives himself the role of spokesman for the German-speaking “life protection” movement and wants to “bear witness” in the legal committee.
    Because: He and his colleagues alone truly protected human dignity and women in pregnancy conflicts. That is why they would become victims of “opponents” who violently fight “against the right”. Pro-choice activists are denied the right to be part of the democratic debate.
    As is usual in the scene, the text does not come without a call to prayer or signing a petition. “1000plus-Profemina” fails to mention the fact that a racist, ethnic nationalist, anti-Semitic and anti-feminist party gave him this stage in the German Bundestag.(…)
    The hearing begins tomorrow (February 10, 2025) at 5 p.m. It is public and can be followed live here:www.bundestag.de/mediathek/live “Post by Lina Dahm from February 9, 2025 on bsky 
  • Paragraph 218: Abortion opponents are apparently lobbying to circumvent the law
    “Abortion opponents have apparently tried to influence members of the Bundestag bypassing the lobby register. Research by NDR and BR shows: One club from Bavaria particularly stands out. According to research by NDR and BR, the association “Aktion Lebenrecht für Alle” (ALfA e.V.) has sent postcards, letters and its association magazine “Lebensforum” to members of the Bundestag several times in recent months. In it, they demand that the current regulation of Section 218 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes abortion, be preserved. (…) Aurel Eschmann from Lobbycontrol criticizes: At the moment there is still too much focus on lobbyists from traditional areas such as business. In the area of ​​so-called pro-life activists, there are many suspicions, but hardly any registered actors. The entire area benefits from this lack of transparency. This meant that connections between different actors and donors remained hidden…”Contribution by Anna Klühspies, Nadja Mitzkat and Sammy Khamis from February 10, 2025 in tagesschau.de 
  • [Union and FDP block the legislative process] No more delays: ver.di calls for the legalization of abortions before the federal election
    “Abortion is still a criminal offense in Germany. Women who have abortions are still criminalized here - and have been for more than 150 years! That has to change, demands the United Services Union (ver.di) together with more than 70 organizations and associations that are taking part in an association hearing in the German Bundestag next Monday (February 10, 2025). An intergroup bill to legalize abortion is being discussed there and has been signed by 328 MPs.
    The draft should actually have been discussed in the Bundestag's plenary session long ago, but the Union and FDP are blocking the legislative process. Ver.di chairman Frank Werneke says: "We expect that the Union and the FDP will no longer block the wish of a large majority of the population, with 80 percent approval, for unpunished abortions and call on them to refer the draft law of the 328 MPs to the legal committee immediately after the association hearing and to the plenary session this week for the adoption of the law. Germany has one of the most restrictive abortion laws in Europe. This is not up to date and must be done be changed.”
    Silke Zimmer, responsible for women on the ver.di federal board-and equality policy, adds: "Party and electoral tactics must not block the path to a long-overdue new regulation. Politicians must finally act and end the paternalism of women. The current legislative initiative is a good first step. Abortion must finally be decriminalized."
    In addition to the deletion of paragraph 218, ver.di calls for the expansion of voluntary counseling services on abortions, the inclusion of abortions as an integral part of medical training in the field of gynecology and the obligation of state hospitals to carry out abortions…”ver.di press release from February 7th, 2025 
• LINTA* March 2025: Feminist central demo on January 19th. in Berlin for the right to abortion and the fight against gender-based violence
  “"Your body, My choice. Forever."The notorious right-wing populist Nicholas Fuentes posted this tweet on the day Donald J. Trump was elected US President for the second time. Democratic forces around the world were still processing the shock of having to fear for American democracy over the next four years when he made what could only really be understood as a threat. And yet it is part of the very real agenda of the political right. Abortion rights in the United States are one of the great achievements of feminist movements of the 20th century. However, the legal self-determination of pregnant women in the USA was not only boosted by the reversal of Roe v. Wade will be massively restricted in 2022 - with Trump as Republican President, the law is finally in jeopardy. Our bodies are casually declared a political playground. (…) But these are not the only setbacks in the rights of FLINTA* people worldwide. (…)
  Here in Germany, too, abortion under Section 218 is still not actually legal. Every three days a man commits femicide. In addition, 18% of those eligible to vote say they will cast their vote in the next federal election for a neo-fascist and inherently backward-looking, sexist right-wing populist party. In its election manifesto from the last European elections, the AfD even advocates a ban on abortions, rejects trans* healthcare that is vital to survival, such as puberty blockers, and uses terms such as “gender ideology” and “early sexualization” to agitate against queer people. The existence of non-binary people is denied in the election manifesto. The AfD embodies everything that threatens marginalized groups today. (…) In times of already severe crises in society as a whole and increasing inequality, we must observe how sexism and the restriction of the rights of marginalized groups become more politically acceptable. The mysogony is increasing, progressive issues are hardly being taken into account anymore and we see our rights seriously threatened by the normalization of violence against FLINTA* people and the discourse that is constantly migrating further to the right. But we will not stand by and watch as right-wing populist forces catapult us coldly into the last century! Not without a fight. One month before the federal election and one day before Trump's official inauguration, we are taking to the streets. Closed, as FLINTA*s in a country where we have the right to raise our voices. For all those who don't have it. And for all the FLINTA*s who have lost their lives to the patriarchy and can never raise their voices again.” From theCall for FLINTA* March 2025 , the feminist central demonstration on January 19th. from 12 p.m. in Berlin at the Brandenburg Gate:
  • “We are fucking angry”: Up to 15 thousand people demonstrate in Berlin against discrimination and for equal rights at the “FLINTA* March 2025”
    
    • Flinta* March in Berlin against the shift to the right and patriarchy
      "At the Flinta* March, 15,000 demonstrated against the rise of right-wing and patriarchal forces (...) "Smash the Cis-tem" and "My Body my Choice" were classics among the demo signs, but "Grandmas against the right" or "Lesbians against Weidel" made it clear that this Flinta* March will be overshadowed by a global shift to the right. The upcoming federal elections were also present, because right-wing forces and Misogynistic positions of politicians are also part of the political landscape here, as Sky Kersten from the Flinta* March 2025 alliance emphasized to "nd": "Even with the strengthening of the AfD and with Friedrich Merz at the head of the CDU, we noticed that there are a lot of people who want to actively take action against the rights of Flinta people, and we want to set an example against that." (...) The self-determination law, which only came into force on November 1st, has Now threatened by the upcoming new elections, the CDU would like to overturn the law if it becomes a government party. The self-determination law still does not allow trans*, inter and non-binary people to have full recognition of their gender identity. In saunas, house rules continue to take precedence over gender registration, and the military gender clause also shows that self-determination only applies until war.