/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/JEUL2B5V7BJCFMRTKGOS3ZSN4Y.jpg "Hungary’s anti-LGBTQ law breaches international rights standards – European rights body")
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/DYF5BFEE4JNPJLNCVUO65UKU6U.jpg "The curious case of a map and a disappearing Taiwan minister at U.S. democracy summit")
/cloudfront-us-east-2.images.arcpublishing.com/reuters/UF7R3GWJGNMQBMFSDN7PJNRJ5Y.jpg "Blinken touts deeper U.S. engagement amid concern over ‘aggressive’ China")
The Vice-President of the European Commission, Maros Sefcovic, speaks with the State Secretary for European Affairs and the President of the Council Ana Paula Zacarias during the plenary session of the European Parliament in preparation for the meeting of the European Council on June 24-25 in Brussels, Belgium, June 23 2021. Pool via REUTERS
BRUSSELS, June 24 (Reuters) – European Union lawmakers passed a resolution on Thursday calling on the bloc’s 27 countries to guarantee the right to legal and safe abortion in order to safeguard women’s sexual and reproductive health improve.
The non-binding resolution, passed by 378 votes to 255, states that the COVID-19 pandemic has limited access to many services critical to sexual and reproductive health and rights, and illustrates how the pandemic more than women Affects men.
The vote took place on the same day as a referendum in Gibraltar to relax one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe.
While most of Europe has legalized abortion, some countries impose restrictions and deep divisions remain over the right to abortion.
Women’s rights in Europe have come under pressure in recent years, say human rights activists, especially in Poland, whose nationalist government has introduced a de facto ban on abortion.
The parliamentary resolution calls on EU countries to step up regular health checks, improve access to contraceptives and fertility treatments and fight menstrual poverty.
She calls for the adoption of laws to protect the rights of intersex people and for better sex education for children.
The vote followed a heated debate in the Chamber, in which the legislature voted on more than 50 amendments to the resolution.
Proponents argued that strengthening sexual and reproductive health and rights is necessary to ensure equality and respect democratic human rights.
Opponents said that access to abortion would not improve women’s health and that the right to life is fundamental.
Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska; Adaptation by Giles Elgood
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
