Organisation of the International Forum on the Right to Abortion
Events
Background
The right to abortion is being challenged in a number of European Union countries. What’s happening in Belgium? The debate relates to its decriminalisation. Abortion is still a punishable offence if it is carried out outside legal conditions.
Mission
The government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation asked VO Citizen to organise the International Forum on the Right to Abortion, a two-day event to identify the obstacles and, especially, the drivers that facilitate access to abortion at the local level, followed by the signing of a charter of commitment.
Response
This fundamental societal issue is controversial and requires a clear position. True to its commitment to citizenship, VO Citizen is involved as an agency, but above all as an actor in civil society. We developed the message “With one voice for the right to abortion” to increase the visibility of the event through a targeted PR and online campaign.
To mark the opening of the forum with a strong symbolic moment, we created a participatory work of art under the direction of artist Maria Fernanda Guzman. A gigantic megaphone decorated with folded metal hangers, the preferred instrument of clandestine abortionists, allowed all the participants to engage in a powerful shared commitment. This work was then exhibited in multiple locations.
Result
The event ended up achieving its objectives with 250 forum participants and more than 2800 charter signatures.
