Together with a broad civil society alliance of 65 other organizations, the Humanist Association of Germany – Federal Association supports a detailed report by the German Alliance for Choice (GAfC) on the current situation of women’s reproductive rights in Germany.
The report describes the far-reaching consequences for women of the legal provisions on abortion in Sections 218 and 219 of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch). This already affects the possibilities of obtaining information on abortion, the procedure before an abortion and the freedom of choice of methods.
The report also points to an increasing deterioration in the medical care situation. This hits women in rural or Catholic regions particularly hard. The quality of healthcare for women is not assured. There is a lack of evidence-based guidelines and medical quality standards for abortion. The topic of abortion is not covered in medical training.
According to the GAfC report, the resulting restrictions on women’s self-determination lead to a continuing violation of the internationally recognized rights of all women in Germany.
The GAfC submitted the report to the committee responsible for implementing the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW) at the beginning of February. The report is intended to initiate the upcoming dialogue between the CEDAW Committee and the Federal Government, which has not yet been achieved: a human rights-compliant legal and institutional structure in the area of reproductive rights, decriminalization and destigmatization of abortion and adequate health care for women. Access to this is a human right.
