During the plenary session (23-24 June 2021) in the European Parliament in Brussels, MEPs debate on the situation of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women’s health. Opening statements by Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), rapporteur, Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality and by Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA (Greens/EFA, DE) (DEVE). This transcription speech is the result of an automatic process. Check against delivery.

Brussels

statement

debate

plenary session

sexual and reproductive health and rights (T)

violence against women (T)

MATIĆ, Predrag Fred (S&D, HR)

HERZBERGER-FOFANA, Pierrette (Greens/EFA, DE)

DALLI, Helena (MT, EC)

The situation of sexual and reproductive health and rights in the EU, in the frame of women’s health: opening statement by Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), Helena DALLI, Commissioner for Equality and by Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA (Greens/EFA, DE)

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&amp;D, HR), Thank you, President. Dear commissioner, dear colleagues, members of the European public. After close to two years of hard and dedicated work in front of you, this is a decision that, believe me, will be the subject of talk for many years after the vote.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), The resolution of on sexual and reproductive health and rights of women is the result of the work of many of my female colleagues from my country and many representatives of the NGO sectors and female experts from the whole of Europe and the world, and also my colleagues from the other.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), Political groups here, I would like to thank them all, we have an excellent Moderna and balanced text with respect to many compromises, but never called into question the very topic of the resolution. That's health and human rights. The positive reviews by those who have seen the text show me that we've done a good job.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), The angry, ruthless, insulting critics of those others give me a good reason to be happy with what we've done. We've received hundreds of mails, messages and letters that they even sent me some bizarre doors. They've even called me Hitler. And those are the same people who talk a lot about goodness, peace, love and mercy.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&amp;D, HR), I am a war veteran and I spent nine months in three concentration camps and death camps. My dear, you have not impressed me at all and you have not intimidated intimidated me. Quite to the contrary. Tomorrow in this high chamber, we'll have an opportunity to show three very important things to remember how important equality it is to us and how much we respect women and their rights and their health.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), And you women, how much you respect yourselves and all of us together, what kind of Europe we want. Tomorrow we will take a far reaching decision on more than 250 million European women. But leave this aside, and if it will make it easier for us, you should know that you take an important decision on the protection of health and basic human rights of your sisters mothers.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), Wives and sisters don't be hypocritical, like the gentleman who was our colleague until recently, the gentleman from Hungary who wrote restrictive laws in the morning and then my later in the afternoon. There are many things offered by this resolution. Sexual reproductive health, access to safe products.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), Comprehensive sexual health, education, contraception means, fertility treatment, care for all pregnant women and new mothers, protection of rights of elderly TBI persons and vulnerable groups, then services regarding sexual and reproductive health during the pandemic and all other crises. And you would be ready to neglect this all and just discuss the issue of abortion with an enormous amount of lies and manipulations.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), I don't want to spend my time and energy to explain these things to those who don't care about the truth and science. Just a few words. They manipulate facts, but just a few answers that are clear from this resolution. Health is the responsibility of the member states. No one advocates abortion, especially as a method of contraception.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), The number of abortions is the same in the countries where it's prohibited and those where it's allowed, only those where it's prohibited. It's dangerous for the health of women. Because of this, every year, 23000 women die. We know that abortion is a difficult choice for every woman, but it has to remain a choice. No one prohibits doctors from denying medical services for personal reasons, but health institutions have to have doctors who will be able to provide that service.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), We cannot prove anything to those who believe that women are second class human beings and that they should remain so, they should just be careful where they walk not to fall off the edge of flat earth. I dedicate this resolution to my mother and wife and all those courageous women and all of those who have not lived to see this day, especially my respect goes to Mrs. Estrella from Portugal, whose efforts 10 years ago, we won't forget.

SOUNDBITE (Croatian), Predrag Fred MATIĆ (S&D, HR), Dear colleagues. It is a great day for Europe and the progress of the world tomorrow. We will decide tomorrow and positioning Europe as a community that decides to live in the 21th or 17th century. Let's not have history remember us as those living in the 17th century. I'm very proud of this text and I put it to vote and I hope it will be voted through because I believe in Europe. Thank you very much.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Thank you, President, Honourable Members, and thank you for this report. And health is the state of complete physical, mental and social well-being. It includes all the aspects that give us the power and means to live a full active life and fulfil our potential. Sexual and reproductive health is integral to our general health.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Sometimes sexual and reproductive health services are not considered as relevant or essential as other health care services. This is wrong. While health care, including sexual and reproductive health care, is and is a member states' responsibility, the Commission fully recognises every person's fundamental right of access to healthcare as enshrined in the Charter of Fundamental Rights and the pillar of social rights.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, And we are always ready to support our member states, their needs and actions. Gender inequalities can significantly affect sexual and reproductive health outcomes and undermine one's sexual and reproductive health. Cost, availability, and in some cases, stigmatisation hamper access to services, especially for young people.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Worse still, lack of access disproportionately affects particular groups of women and men. Most of the actions in the report concern member states. However, in its gender equality strategy, the Commission states its intention to facilitate regular exchanges of good practices between member states and stakeholders on the gender aspects of health, including sexual and reproductive health and rights.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, High quality sexual and reproductive health services are essential to both women and girls, as well as to men and boys. While often any reference to SRH is quickly linked to abortion, and people who think so and say so are wrong because sexual and reproductive rights go well beyond it and cover issues such as contraception, education and preventive treatment of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, for instance, as well as fertility and sex specific cancers.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Earlier this year and February, I expressed my concern to you regarding recent pushbacks on women's rights, especially their sexual and reproductive rights and their right to health. In this respect, the EU has only complementary competence, as we all know, in public health matters, and member states are competent for the definition of their health policy.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, Abortion legislation is therefore up to the member state concerned when exercising their competences. Member states must respect the fundamental rights that bind them by virtue of their constitutions and commitments. Under international law, too often sexuality, an integral part of human life, remains a taboo in our societies.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, We need to avoid the personal constraints it triggers, as you rightly point out in your report. This starts with all children and young people having the right to receive comprehensive and reliable information about sexuality and health related rights. While it is the competence of the member states, I believe that comprehensive sexuality education brings benefits that go far beyond information on biological science, reproduction and health risks associated with sexuality.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, It can be a powerful means of promoting respect for diversity and human and fundamental rights. It can help combating gender stereotypes, violence and abuse against children and women, as well as discrimination. This will counter the current trend of primary and secondary school children who, in the void of formal education on the topic, watch pornography as their own form of sex education, which totally distorts the image of an intimate relationship.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, And I must say that this reality is frightening and its consequences really are wreaking havoc on the lives of these especially young people. So the report has a strong focus on gender based violence, including female genital mutilation. In this context, next year, we shall table a recommendation on the prevention of harmful practises.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The recommendation also is expected to cover practises such as female genital mutilation and address better public services, prevention and support measures, capacity building of professionals and victim centred access to justice. At the root of many, gender inequalities are stereotypical beliefs and opinions on how men and women should behave in society.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The commission will launch an EU wide communication campaign combating such gender stereotypes. It will tackle all spheres of life and focus on youth engagement in collaboration with member states. On top of the exchanges of good practise I mentioned earlier, the Commission provides full support to member states' efforts in implementing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals relevant to women's health, such as universal access to sexual and reproductive care, family planning and education.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The EU for Health Programme is our main financial tool, supporting national health policies and gender equality, as well as rights and equal opportunities for all. And the mainstreaming of those objectives are taken into account and promoted throughout the assessment, preparation, implementation and monitoring of the EU for Health Programme.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, The newly approved EU for Health Annual Work Programme for 2021 includes several of your requests. Others are expected to follow in future annual work programmes. Grants worth 1,2 million euros will support actions to improve access to human papillomavirus vaccination.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, And we will also put 3,8 million euros into support for member states to roll out large scale human papillomavirus vaccination campaigns. You also mentioned cancer screening. I can inform you that action grants worth 2 million euros will support accreditation and certification of quality assurance schemes for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer screening programmes.

SOUNDBITE (English), Helena DALLI, European Commissioner for Equality, A further 2 million euros annexion grants will be available for updating the European Cancer Information System to monitor and assess cancer screening programmes. The European Commission is committed to improving the health of European citizens. Of course, this commitment extends to sexual and reproductive health, which is an integral and essential element of our overall health. I thank you.

SOUNDBITE (French), Pierrette HERZBERGER-FOFANA (Greens/EFA, DE)