Women's rights - Pro Family advocates for abortion option in every district
From the perspective of Pro Familia, it should be possible in every district in South Baden-Württemberg for pregnancies to be terminated with medication or an operation in the first twelve weeks of pregnancy. However, this was not the case in eleven of the 44 Baden-Württemberg districts in November, according to the business manager of the Consultation Center Network, Gudrun Christ. In Ravensburg, this option is denied to women just as in the districts of Biberach and Heidenheim, in the Main-Tauber-District, and in the Hohenlohe District. "It looks bad according to our findings," Christ said.
According to a recent study, Baden-Württemberg ranks poorly in the nationwide comparison in terms of the availability of abortion services. "In 85 out of 400 districts, the criteria for adequate accessibility are not met," wrote the ELSA Research Association in April about the situation in Germany. Eight of these districts are located in Baden-Württemberg. The situation is similarly difficult in Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, while Bavaria is even worse off. The ELSA Research Association includes, among others, the University of Ulm and the Social Science Research Institute on Gender Questions in Freiburg. Researchers define adequate accessibility as a 40-minute car ride.
Women are additionally burdened in their stressful situation by long journeys, according to Christ. Abortions are still a taboo. "For many, it's just that they don't want to talk about it that they had an abortion," Christ said. More than half of the women have already had children. "That means everything has to be organized. The children have to be taken care of, and sometimes a car has to be arranged because it's difficult with public transportation."
In Baden-Württemberg, a total of 10,531 abortions were performed in 2023, according to the Statistical Office of the State - 9,923 of them in the first trimester. According to the regulation, an abortion in the first twelve weeks remains penalty-free if the woman seeks counseling beforehand.
- Ms. Gudrun Christ, the business manager of the Consultation Center Network, noted that in Southwest Baden-Württemberg, some districts, such as Ravensburg, Biberach, Heidenheim, Main-Tauber-District, and Hohenlohe-kreis, do not offer medication or operation options for pregnancy termination within the first twelve weeks.
- The ELSA Research Association, which includes the University of Ulm and the Social Science Research Institute on Gender Questions in Freiburg, recently reported that Baden-Württemberg is among the German districts with inadequate availability of abortion services, based on a 40-minute car ride criteria.
- In Baden-Württemberg itself, eight of the 11 districts that do not meet this criteria are located, contributing to the poor ranking of the region in the nationwide comparison.
- Gudrun Christ emphasized that the long journeys required for pregnancy termination can add to the stress women face during this period, as many prefer not to discuss their abortions due to societal taboos.
- The situation in other districts, such as Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia, is comparably challenging, while Bavaria has even more restrictive policies.
- According to the Statistical Office of the State, a total of 10,531 abortions were carried out in Baden-Württemberg in 2023, with 9,923 occurring in the first trimester, where an abortion remains penalty-free if the woman seeks counseling beforehand.
- Traveling to access such services is not the only challenge women face; additional complications can arise from organizing childcare, securing transportation, and dealing with public transportation limitations.
- In an effort to support women navigating these challenges, organizations such as Pro Familia advocate for expanded access to services and more comprehensive resources in districts across Baden-Württemberg and the broader region of Stuttgart.
