Rome, August 07, 2024, The Europe Today: With Giorgia Meloni at the helm, Italy now has perhaps the most openly anti-abortion prime minister in Western Europe. However, terminating pregnancies in this majority-Catholic nation, which also hosts the Vatican, has never been straightforward.
The case of Linda Feki, a 33-year-old singer and musician from Naples, has brought renewed attention to the issue. Feki recently shared her harrowing experience with abortion stigma and abuse, eliciting an outpouring of support from many Italian women who identified with her plight. However, her story also attracted criticism and insults, highlighting the deepening national divisions over reproductive rights under Meloni’s leadership.
“I decided to make my story public … because I have a public profile so maybe my voice could resonate more. I felt a kind of responsibility as a citizen, but also as an artist, to convey the message that abortion is a right,” Feki told Reuters.
In Italy, abortions are legal within the first three months of pregnancy, and beyond that period only if the mother’s mental or physical health is seriously endangered. Despite the legal framework, bureaucratic, cultural, and practical obstacles complicate access to abortion services. According to the Health Ministry, about 63% of gynecologists across Italy are “conscientious objectors,” refusing to perform abortions on ethical grounds. This figure rises to over 80% in some parts of the south.
Feki’s ordeal began at Naples’ San Paolo hospital, where a gynecologist questioned her decision to abort and suggested her pregnancy was more advanced than possible, given the timing of her last encounter with her long-distance partner. When challenged, the doctor implied she might have been unfaithful. A subsequent scan by a private gynecologist confirmed the pregnancy was at an earlier stage.
Feki’s story underscores the challenges women face in accessing abortion services in Italy and the growing polarization on reproductive rights. As the debate intensifies under Prime Minister Meloni’s leadership, the experiences of women like Feki highlight the urgent need for a nuanced and compassionate approach to this sensitive issue.
