Għonnella-clad women walk in silence to protest abortion ban

A group of women dressed in traditional Maltese clothing, including veils and the għonnella, walked silently through the streets of Valletta on Wednesday to draw attention to “centuries of reproductive control”.

The activists, from the Voice for Choice coalition, organised the event to mark the International Day of Action for Women’s Health.

The procession featured participants dressed in black and traditional attire, which organisers said was chosen to symbolise the weight of Malta’s "restrictive abortion laws" and the "historical oppression of women".

One of the activists walking through Valletta Photo: Voice for Choice

Abortion is illegal in Malta, although changes were approved in 2023 that allow for termination if a woman's life is in danger. 

According to a statement released by the coalition, the decision not to speak was intended to reflect how abortion laws and social stigma “silence women”.

Furthermore, the use of black, historical clothing was meant to represent “the oppressive reality of living in a female body in Malta,” they explained.

“There is no other healthcare issue that is so heavily restricted,” the statement read.

“Our lives do not belong to us, but are governed by laws rooted in the 19th century,” said the activists. They noted that Malta’s abortion laws were introduced while the country was still under British colonial rule. “While Britain has since liberalised their abortion laws, we remain governed by them. It’s time to break free from the shackles of colonialism,” the statement added.

Pavaljun” with the quote “noħlom b’ġisem li hu biss tiegħi.” Photo: Voice for Choice

As the group moved through Valletta, they carried a pavaljun, a traditional commemorative banner, bearing the quote “noħlom b’ġisem li hu biss tiegħi,” which translates to “I dream of a body that is only mine.”

The banner, created by artist Lana Spiteri, featured various symbols linked to feminism, justice, fertility, including il-mara l-ħoxna (the fat lady) and the Maltese landscape. Among the motifs were two snakes wrapped around the scales of justice, flanked by goddesses of fertility holding suns and upside-down triangles, symbols of feminine energy.

“We wanted to draw attention to the injustice that women, non-binary individuals, and trans men face due to the lack of abortion rights in the country,” Voice for Choice said.

Demonstrators walking in Silence through the capital Phtoo: Voice for Choice

The coalition is calling for the decriminalisation and destigmatisation of abortion in Malta. “As the sunrays on the pavaljun represent, we will remain resilient and keep moving forward towards our goal of abortion rights for all,” they said.