The parliament of the Faroe Islands has recently made a significant legislative shift by narrowly voting to amend its decades-old abortion law, allowing access to abortion “on request” up to the twelfth week of pregnancy. The decision, passed by a single-vote margin of 17 to 16, marks a crucial change for a region historically known for having one of Europe’s most restrictive abortion regimes (JURIST).
This change is seen as a response to prolonged pressure from international entities and regional stakeholders. In 2021, a dialogue organized by the Nordic Council in collaboration with the United Nations CEDAW highlighted concerns that the existing law was infringing on women’s rights to health, equality, and self-determination. The CEDAW rapporteur emphasized that maintaining the restrictive law risked driving women towards unsafe abortion practices or compelling them to seek services abroad, thereby jeopardizing their health (Amnesty International).
The legislative reform brings the Faroe Islands in closer alignment with other European nations, reflecting a broader trend towards increased reproductive choice across the region. The Centre for Reproductive Rights has tracked these legal reforms, noting the growing acceptance of reproductive freedom as a normative standard. Until now, the Faroese law, established in 1956, permitted abortions only under limited circumstances, such as rape, incest, threats to the woman’s life or health, and certain social conditions (Centre for Reproductive Rights).
However, for many activists and human rights advocates, the ultimate aim remains the complete decriminalization of abortion and the elimination of punitive measures for those seeking or providing abortion services. The recent vote could be viewed more as a foundational step within the broader context of human rights development in the region, rather than an endpoint.