Vrije Keuze Coalitie: fighting for abortion rights
The Vrije Keuze Coalitie (Free Choice Coalition) is a partnership of civil society organisations, activists, and experts in the field of abortion care and rights. We joined forces to protect and improve access to and the right to abortion in the Netherlands. We believe that everyone should be able to choose abortion without practical or cultural obstacles. This is the world we are fighting for.
Our mission has become more urgent now that conservative and anti-gender forces are gaining ground in Dutch politics and threatening to undermine existing reproductive rights.
Removing abortion from the Criminal Code
The decriminalisation of abortion is one of our top priorities. The Free Choice Coalition believes that the current abortion legislation perpetuates stigma and violates the fundamental right to make decisions about one’s own body and life. We are committed to removing abortion from the Criminal Code and introducing legislation that guarantees reproductive justice.
Through public campaigns, we are building an intersectional movement of civil society organisations and citizens to achieve these goals. We also proactively influence politics and seize lobbying opportunities as they arise.
Combating the stigma surrounding abortion and normalising both abortion itself and the conversation about it are central to our mission.
Autonomy is at the heart of this: the realisation that the right to abortion is part of a broader spectrum of reproductive rights and self-determination. We strive for a future in which contraception, abortion, and family planning are no longer seen as separate issues, but as parts of one fundamental right: the freedom to make decisions about your own body and future.
Wave of change
We envision a world in which everyone has access to safe abortion care. Healthcare providers are well-informed and trained, abortion services are accessible through general practitioners, hospitals, and pharmacies, and digital platforms make abortion via medication available to people who cannot go to a clinic. We hope that this shift in the Netherlands will trigger a wave of change and inspire countries where abortion is still illegal to implement similar reforms.
Over the past two years, we have laid the foundation for a sustainable movement: building relationships, creating collective decision-making structures, launching a website, organising events, and managing the behind-the-scenes logistics that keep a coalition running. We do this on a voluntary basis and resources are limited – this was achieved thanks in part to the Spark Fund.
Support the work of groups like The Free Choice Coalition by donating today.
