Who Finds the Right of Women to Decide Whether to Give Birth Objectionable?

01 November 2007

The ANIMA-Kotor Centre for Women and Peace Education, on the behalf of the Network of Women NGOs, expressed its concern over the fact that the new Constitution didn�t preserve the achieved levels of women human rights and fails to secure the freedom for women to decide freely whether to give birth.

Although Article 18 defines that �...the state guarantees equality of women and men and develops equal opportunity policies�, this is not enough for the women, especially at this time of rising importance of the church in the state. There is a justified question � who found the previous phrasing objectionable and why was it deleted.

Also, the section on the protection of family (article 72) and protection of mother and child (Article 73), is clearly immersed in the patriarchal spirit and presents clearly the state�s intent to meddle in the process of deciding on births, and to �create conditions that promote child-birth�.

Such phrasing creates additional concerns, since it is possible for restrictions on women�s right of full control over their bodies to be used to stimulate child birth. In addition to the Law on Gender Equality, which is more of a recommendation than an obligation, now the Constitution leaves the field open to violate women rights.

The public was well informed about the efforts of the Women NGO Network (MZNVO) to secure equal treatment and protection for women in the Constitution. Those efforts resulted in promises that were partially fulfilled in the Constitution and equal opportunity policies, but there is no protection of women�s freedom to decide on child birth.

- M�NVO invites the women public to closely follow the process of adoption of legislation, especially of the Law on Labour and other legislation that could strengthen the said women rights or definitely eliminated them, says the public statement signed by ANIMA, SZK, CZL, Forum of Women, Bona Fide, STELA Women Group and Dom Nade nongovernmental organizations.

The signatories conclude that the field of action has been totally narrowed down with party compromises and denial of the right to civic initiative, as well as the intent of the political elite to implement population policies along party political interests.