Ahead of elections, activists in Prague call for constitutional right to abortion

Women's rights are under threat, say supporters of a petition calling for a constitutional right to abortion in the Czech Republic. Activists promoted the petition at an event staged in Prague Monday, ahead of parliamentary elections scheduled for Oct. 3–4.

The event, organized by the Konsent organization in cooperation with Czech Amnesty International, marked the International Day for Safe Abortion. Its purpose is to encourage politicians to anchor the right to abortion in the Czech constitution.

Many petitioners said they were motivated by developments abroad.

"I signed the petition because it is terribly important for women to make decisions about their bodies and because I am terrified of what is happening in the world right now. Women are dying to save a fetus that may not even survive," said Veronika, who signed the petition at the Amnesty International stand.

Marie, attending the event with her small child in a pram, added, "At a time of growing radical right-wing sentiment, it is important to educate schools about women's right to free choice."

According to Johanna Nejedlová of Konsent, nearly 35,000 people have signed the petition. Data from NMS Research cited on Konsent’s website shows that 68 percent of Czechs support constitutional protection for abortion.

The right to abortion is already enshrined in the constitutions of France, Slovenia, and Serbia. By contrast, in the United States, the 2022 Supreme Court decision overturning Roe v. Wade returned abortion regulation to the states.

Poland maintains some of Europe’s strictest regulations, allowing abortion only when the woman’s life or health is at risk or in cases of pregnancy resulting from a crime.

Evzen, who also stopped by the petition stands at the Prague event, voiced opposition.

"A newly conceived human being does not only come from a woman's body, but is a union of a woman and a man," he said. He added that women who want abortion should consider adoption.

In 2023, 15,088 women in the Czech Republic underwent an artificial termination of pregnancy, according to the Czech Statistical Office. Most were unmarried, and the most common age group was 30–34. Many cited unavailability of contraception or barriers to access as reasons for their pregnancy.

The organizations behind the event are calling for contraception available to all, the creation of a state-run abortion information website, and the regulation of the abortion pill, or pharmacological abortion, to allow its use up to the ninth, tenth, or even 12th week of pregnancy.

Currently, pharmacological abortion is permitted only up to the seventh week in Czechia. They are also advocating for more dignified hospital conditions for women opting for this method.

Ahead of the election, the groups have contacted 721 parliamentary candidates, receiving responses from more than 270, Nejedlová said.

According to the European Combined SRHR Ranking Atlas 2020–2023, Czechia scores 60 percent in overall sexual and reproductive health and rights. The Atlas evaluates abortion laws, contraception access, fertility policies, HPV prevention, and gender-based violence measures.

Czechia’s score reflects moderate protections and access, highlighting gaps in constitutional abortion rights, broader contraception access, and sexual health education, compared with top-performing countries like the United Kingdom, France, and the Netherlands.