Take Five: “The European Parliament is sending a clear message that protecting the rights, health and lives of women has no alternative”

Predrag Fred Matić is a member of the European Parliament and also part of the Committee on Women's Rights and Gender Equality of the European Parliament (FEMM). In the summer of 2021, his team celebrated a major victory – when the European Parliament, with 378 votes, adopted the report on women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights. Matić shared with UN Women how they achieved this win; what the report means for the Western Balkans; the role of international organizations; and what’s next for his team.

Why is the topic of women’s sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) important for you?

All of my political actions are motivated and aimed at protecting those who are vulnerable, attacked or in danger. We have seen a strong pushback against women's rights in recent years, which is unacceptable to me. The latest devastating examples come from Poland and Hungary, members of the European Union (EU), consciously and deliberately rejecting achieved human rights standards. When these situations occur, it is our responsibility to act and that is what I have been doing so far and will continue to do.

It took more than two years for the report to be adopted. What was the process and what changes are being called for in the report?

The process was long but was worth every minute. It took a bit longer than planned due to the COVID-19 pandemic. We held a number of meetings, many consultations with different stakeholders and tried to have as many experts as possible contributing to the whole process. That proved to be especially important during the campaign of anti-choice organizations [organizations that are against individuals having the right to choose and to make free decisions about their body and life, including whether or not to have an abortion, led a campaign against the report] as we showed a certain strength and unity behind the report, including ourselves in the European Parliament, also citizens, civil society and experts.

The resolution calls on the Member States to safeguard the right of all individuals to make their own informed choices about SRHR and to provide the necessary means to allow everyone to enjoy these rights. Some of the key demands set out in the Resolution are for example access to safe, fair and circular menstrual products for all by applying exemptions or 0% VAT rates to menstrual products which are essential basic goods. Then, in terms of comprehensive sexuality education, we urge the Member States to ensure universal access to scientifically accurate, evidence-based, age-appropriate, non-judgemental and comprehensive sexuality education and information for all primary and secondary school children, as well as children out of school.

In addition, the Resolution calls on the Member States to ensure universal access to a range of high-quality and accessible modern contraceptive methods and supplies and to ensure universal access to safe and legal abortion, and respect for the right to freedom, privacy and the best attainable healthcare. Related to health crises caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, we call on the Commission to address the impact it has had on accessing SRHR. We have also called on the Commission to recognise that SRHR is grounded in fundamental human rights and, as such, are a priority during the current health crisis and beyond.

The report is an important step forward for the EU. What about the Western Balkans, how does this report affect the accession process?

The countries of the Western Balkans are currently in different stages of negotiations and pre-accession and one of the key elements in that process is accepting the EU values and human rights standards.

This resolution represents a certain standard in women's rights, in their access to healthcare and that standard should not be undermined by anyone. The European Parliament sent a clear message that protecting the rights, health and lives of women has no alternative. Those who do not respect that and do not share European values will find it difficult to become part of the European family.

What role do international organizations, such as UN Women, play in relation to this report?

They definitely have a role to play. Numerous documents, declarations and statistics served as the basis and reference point for compiling the text of the resolution. The value of the work of an organization like UN Women and the willingness to cooperate in policy-making is immeasurable. The information and campaign conducted by such a reliable international organization are of extreme importance in today's world, where disinformation and misinformation prevail.

The report still needs to go to the European Commission, what will come next and what does the future hold for your team?

There is no legal passing in the Commission, the Commission may or may not take into account what was sent to them in this Resolution and the concrete demands we put forward as the European Parliament. If they take on board what we have asked for, this will mean an equal standard of health services and respect for human rights in terms of sexuality and reproduction, which can serve as an example of good practice outside the EU. From a legal point of view, each Member State has national competences in this issue which means they alone set their national legislation, following the principle of subsidiarity. Nonetheless, the Member States have to take into account the position of the European Parliament which has been clearly expressed through the Resolution. They have the call for improving and harmonizing the system and that is crucial, in that sense. I hope for complete decriminalization of abortion, the introduction of sexuality education, tackling infertility and ensuring the equal quality of maternity healthcare and strengthening and implementing of existing instruments to combat gender-based violence.

We have seen that since the adoption, there have been actions in line with what is written in the Resolution. Croatia has had a wave of progress in terms of combating menstrual poverty. The city of Varaždin has started with a pilot project of ensuring free menstrual products for school girls who need them. Local and regional authorities, schools and institutions have begun to follow this example. There are currently six schools offering solutions for their students and that are working systematically to raise awareness.

I believe we will get strong support from the Commissioner for Equality, Helena Dalli. As far as my work in the Parliament is concerned, we are yet to see which instances from the text of the resolution can be materialized and how to cooperate with the Member States to ensure that our suggestions are implemented.