Some 20 predominantly young women gathered outside Parliament ahead of a committee hearing on the Morning After Pill this evening, arguing that their voices were being excluded from the debate.
The women, responding to a call on social media, said they were frustrated by a speakers list for the hearing which they felt was unfairly biased towards opponents of the pill.
Most of the women, however, were not let in to the joint meeting of the Social Affairs, Family and Health committee due to a lack of space.
The speakers list included the National Council of Women, Life Network Malta, Gift of Life, the Malta Unborn Child Movement, and the Cana Movement, along with academics on both sides and a small number of organises in favour of the pill.
This was the third and final hearing of the committee on the subject.
“We came out because the speakers are completely biased in favour of the anti-choice movement,” said one young woman, who did not wish to be named. “It’s disgusting that this decision will be made on the basis of views from people who aren’t affected by the issue. We needed to show that people are willing to come out and make their voices heard in person.”
Integra Foundation director Maria Pisani was among those outside who questioned how the speakers had been chosen, and asked why other NGOs, including many who have spoken in favour of the MAP had been excluded.
Nikita Zammit Alamango from Nisa Laburisti, one of the invited speakers, told this newspaper before the meeting: “We’ve presented the facts, the Medicines Authority has spoken, and I think a decision should be taken as soon as possible.
“The longer this decision is hindered the longer women are being denied a right which is available in so many other countries abroad.”
Among the crowd outside were also a few voices opposed to the introduction of the emergency contraception. Stephanie Soler, a member of Life Network said the issue still needed to be analysed further by experts before a decision was taken.
“There is a lot of conflicting research, and until we can prove that the MAP does not have an effect on human life, we cannot allow it,” she said.