Women in Romania have had a legal right to an abortion since 1990. But many seeking care find themselves in a Kafkaesque trap.
Bianca, a young Romanian, ended up obtaining abortion pills without a prescription, and she took them without medical supervision.
The work done by investigative reporter Lina Vdovîi in Bucharest illustrates how politicians and priests — and even doctors — seek to shut down a woman’s right to choose.
The situation is not unique to Romania; women in Croatia and Italy face similar obstacles. The world increasingly looks to Europeans for leadership in civil rights and gender equality. So how can this still be happening?
A key issue is that maternal healthcare and abortion are not explicitly referenced in European treaties, explains Irina Trichkovska of law firm White & Case. That “sadly causes significant disparities in the treatment of women across the EU,” she says.
