Certain parliamentary members were disrespectful and misogynistic during the abortion debate, activist Andrea Dibben told a small crowd outside parliament on Monday.

“Dibben was speaking moments before the House approved the second reading  of a bill that will remove criminal liability for doctors and women when a pregnancy is terminated due to the woman's life or health being at risk.

"The quality of political debate in our country is already low, but somehow some of our parliamentarians managed to drag it even lower,” she told a small crowd of people outside Parliament on Monday.

“The misogyny, the disrespect, the mockery of a woman who lived through a terrible experience caused by our laws is nothing short of disgraceful.”

Dibben did not name the politicians she was referring to.

In June, Andrea Prudente was denied a request to terminate a non-viable pregnancy at 16 weeks.

Maltese doctors could not treat her for fear that their intervention could terminate the pregnancy and make them liable to criminal action and imprisonment. She was then medically evacuated to Spain where she had an abortion after her health insurance deemed her situation life-threatening. 

The PN had said all its MPS will vote against the amendment. 

Labour Party deputy leader Daniel Micallef and PL MEP Cyrus Engerer were also present in the crowd.

Next to the pro-choice activists, two pro-life activists stood alongside a banner that read 'Innocent Lives Matter?'.

"Innocent lives matter?" and "Abortion saves women's lives" posters side by side outside Parliament. Photo: Jonathan Borg

“This law is not just about Prudente. The proposed amendment is about protecting the health and lives of all women in this country," Dibben said.

"By mocking Prudente, they ridiculed every woman and girl in our country," she said, referring to PN leader Bernard Grech's criticism towards the woman.

Addressing a debate on the amendments last month, Grech appeared to mock Prudente, at one point using a play on words, saying the prime minister should be "prudenti (prudent)". 

Dibben said even if the bill is implemented in its proposed form, Malta's fame for being the worst country in Europe in how it treats women will remain the same. She said victims of rape and incest will still be forced to carry out their pregnancies, and "hundreds of our sisters and daughters" will be criminalised for buying pills online. 

She said activists were urging the government to not water down the bill.

Andrea Dibben outside Parliament on Monday. Photo: Jonathan Borg

"We state again: Voting for the bill, as it is, with no tweaks, is the very minimum our parliamentarians can do for women in this country."

She called for the opposition MPs to find a "grain of love and respect" for women and vote in favour of the law. 

"Show us you care about women in this country- not only through words but also action. Vote yes on Bill 28."

"You are only here because you are labourites"

An argument broke out between one pro-life activist and an elderly couple who were watching the ongoing speeches. 

The pro-life activists first addressed a question to the pro-choice crowd, asking what exactly the term "health" meant in the bill. 

While one pro-choice doctor tried to explain, a man and woman in the crowd could be heard trying to speak to the activists, seemingly siding with the pro-choice group. 

"We are also in favour of life," they could be heard saying. 

"You are only here because you are labourites," the pro-life activist shouted, which followed an argument between the couple and the activist. 

Police had to intervene.