Advocacy groups Spotlight and Pro Familia highlighting "Day of Safe Abortion"
In Germany, the debate surrounding Paragraph 218 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes abortion under certain conditions, continues to be a contentious issue. This outdated law, which allows for abortions only under restrictive conditions and imposes burdensome criminal sanctions, is being challenged by various organizations, including Pro Familia Pforzheim and the Spotlight counseling center.
These organizations, which provide counseling and support in compliance with legal provisions, advocate for abortion rights and aim to inform women comprehensively while reducing stigma. They are pushing for the abolition of Paragraph 218 as part of their public health and women's rights mission.
In Pforzheim, the Spotlight counseling center and Pro Familia Pforzheim have filled a display case with information about self-determination and various demands. Claudia Jancura, director of the Spotlight counseling center in Pforzheim, calls for vigilance and vocal support for reproductive rights.
The organizations demand comprehensive reproductive healthcare, including the inclusion of contraception and abortion in statutory health insurance. They also call for the end of the "gender-specific criminalization" represented by Paragraph 218 and the protection of "bodily autonomy" over "criminal silencing."
The restriction of reproductive rights is often seen as a first step in the curtailment of the basic rights of minorities and marginalized persons. The organizations highlight the inadequate healthcare provided to an entire population group in the case of abortions in Germany.
Politicians and activists, such as Catherina Pieroth, have publicly called for repealing Paragraph 218, framing it as outdated and a violation of women's right to bodily autonomy and self-determination. Although the advertising ban under Paragraph 219a was repealed in 2022, Paragraph 218's criminal provisions remain contested and unresolved, with no full abolition as of now.
A commission of the federal government is currently working on a reform of Paragraph 218, but both organizations demand its complete abolition. They also demand comprehensive state support for families and the dismantling of structural barriers such as racism, ableism, transphobia, and interphobia.
Reproductive rights and optimal healthcare are fundamental human rights, according to the organizations, and should not be part of the criminal code. Abortions are not included in the medical school curriculum or specialist training in Germany.
As of mid-2025, Paragraph 218 of the German Criminal Code remains in force but continues to be subject to significant public and political debate, including calls for its abolition. Efforts by organizations such as Pro Familia Pforzheim and the Spotlight counseling center align with broader movements advocating for the repeal or reform of this law to ensure better access to abortion services and self-determination for women.
- The organizations, such as Pro Familia Pforzheim and the Spotlight counseling center, are pushing for the abolition of Paragraph 218 as part of their mission focused on women's health, reproductive rights, and mental health.
- These organizations advocate for comprehensive reproductive healthcare that includes contraception and abortion as part of statutory health insurance and aim to inform women comprehensively while reducing stigma.
- Abortions are not included in the medical school curriculum or specialist training in Germany, and the organizations demand that reproductive rights, including the right to abortion, be recognized as fundamental human rights.
- The restriction of reproductive rights, as represented by Paragraph 218, is being challenged by various organizations, who allege that it is a violation of women's right to bodily autonomy and self-determination, and they highlight its negative impact on women's health and mental health.
