Campaigns

Our better known campaigns involve sea voyages to countries where abortions are illegal, but we also develop art projects, engage in legal actions, give sexual education and medical knowledge workshops, and help women with the course of their abortions via the internet.

  • Ecuador 2008

    The Coordinadora Juvenil por la Equidad de Género (Youth Committee for Gender Equity, ‘CPJ’) invited Women on Waves to come to Ecuador to support them in their stuggle to legalize abortion. Moreover we want to inform women of the possibility to do a safe abortion themselves with medicines, Cytotec, that are available in Ecuador.

    For help in Ecuador: (593) 099004545

  • Portugal 2004

    The Women on Waves ship Borndiep stayed in international waters, 12 miles from Figueira da Foz a small holliday town in Portugal, from August 28 till September 9, 2004. The ship was being blocked to enter Portuguese national waters by two Portuguese war ships.

  • Teken de Petitie!

    Om stopzetting van de strafvervolging van een 24-jarige vrouw uit Boxtel die 14 november werd gearresteerd vanwege een vermeende illegale abortus Klik hier om de brief te ondertekenen

  • Introducing an international symbol

    The essence of the-safety-pin campagne is to pull the themes abortion and unwanted pregnancy out of the closet and onto the public agenda. This progress towards an active international debate has an international symbol: the safety pin. Different media explore the themes and each offer simple options that could support the progress: from wearing a safety pin in one's personal surroundings as a personal signature on a petition to actively producing and distributing flyers. The mix of information as well as the significance of the information and need of support is varied in the media displayed here (website www.the-safety-pin.org, flyers, fashion movement).

  • Ireland 2001

    On 11 June 2001, Women on Waves set sail from the Netherlands with an almost entirely female crew for the Republic of Ireland, a country with the most restrictive abortion law in Europe. Women on Waves was invited by several Irish abortion rights organisations.

  • Print and Paste

    Help women get access to the life saving information how they can safely do an abortion themselves. Print this sticker and paste it everywhere; in public bathrooms, cafe's restaurants, busses, trains, waitingrooms, dressingrooms, everywhere.

  • Malta Mini Campaign

    In October 2007, Rebecca Gomperts was invited by Emmy Bezzina of the Alpha Liberal Democratic Party to come to Malta to give a lecture.

  • Stir in Argentina

    Visit Rebecca Gomperts to Argentina sparks abortion debate.

    On December 8, 2004, Rebecca Gomperts visited Argentina on the invitation of Noemi Oliveto of the party Selfdetermination & Freedom.

  • Poland 2003

    On June 16, 2003 Women on Waves set sail for Poland. We were invited by a coalition of Polish women's organisations called the "STER committee- women decide", to support them in their struggle for legal and safe abortion.

  • Exhibition: I had an Abortion

    I had an abortion. Poddalam sie aborcji. Jien ghamilt abort. Eu fiz um aborto. Ho fatto un aborto. J'ai eu un avortement. Ich hatte eine abtreibung. Yo aborte. Did you have an abortion? ACT !

  • How can I do an abortion?

    The best and safest way a woman can do an abortion herself until the 9th week of pregnancy is with the use of two medicines called Mifepristone (also known as the abortion pill, RU 486, Mifegyn, Mifeprex), and Misoprostol (also known as Cytotec, Arthrotec, Oxaprost , Cyprostol, Mibetec, Prostokos or Misotrol).
    A medical abortion done this way has a success rate of more than 97%. If you live in a country where there is no access to safe abortion services and you would like to obtain a medical abortion with Mifepristone and Misoprostol, please go to Women on Web. This is a online medical abortion help service that refers to a doctor who can provide you with a medical abortion.
    A woman can also do an abortion herself until the 9th week of pregnancy with only the use of Misoprostol.

  • Diary: 

    Ecuador Diary

    June 14 th 2008, Women on Waves arrived in Ecuador. Here is a day by day account of the campaign, the action, the activists, the progress of the hotline, the reactions on the local level to this inititiative and the personal impressions of the people involved.

  • Abortion on our ship

    You can make an appointment with us by telephone, email or by visiting the ship. We will inform you about when and where to board the ship. You will be treated according to Dutch professional medical standards, which include full confidentiality about counselling and/or treatment. Here you can read more about counselling, the treatment and what to expect afterwards.

  • The Portuguese Diary

    In this day-to-day diary, read what happened during the Women on Waves campaign in Portugal.

  • Media Portugal

    The best way to get an impression of the discussion in Portuguese society is to look at the overwhealming press coverage. From august 23 on, we have collected more than 700 newspaper articles. Next to the continuous TV coverage on all channels public and commercial. It shows how our trip has helped to put legal abortion on the agenda again in Portugal.

  • BBC Correspondent

    Link More about the BBC documentary "Abortionship" from the Poland campaign]