In recent years, many different initiatives have been launched by women's advocacy organisations to ensure that acquired abortion rights* are preserved and existing legislation is improved. This is partly in response to increasing restrictions on abortion in other countries. Thanks in particular to these initiatives, abortion has also returned to the political agenda. A number of initiatives are mentioned here. Based on various sources, these topics are further highlighted.
In recent years, many different initiatives have been launched by women's advocacy organisations to ensure that acquired abortion rights* are preserved and existing legislation is improved. This is partly in response to increasing restrictions on abortion in other countries. Thanks in particular to these initiatives, abortion has also returned to the political agenda. A number of initiatives are mentioned here. Based on various sources, these topics are further highlighted.
2017: Abortion Network Amsterdam
In late 2017, Abortion Network Amsterdam was set up: a volunteer organisation that helps foreign women get abortions at Dutch clinics. For example, because abortion is illegal in their home country, such as Poland or Malta. Or because a second-trimester abortion is not possible there or they do not have access to legal abortion in their country of residence because of their residency status.
May 2019: Abortion Buddies
Together with The Humanist Alliance, the feminist collective The Above Ground founded the Abortion Buddies in May 2019. These buddies accompanied women past protesters in front of an abortion clinic. After De Bovengrondse stopped in late 2021, the initiative continued as Foundation Together to the Clinic.
June 2019: Parliamentary debate aggression at abortion clinics
Following reports of intimidation and aggression by protesters at abortion clinics, D66 MP Pia Dijkstra posed parliamentary questions to Health Minister De Jonge. On 11 June 2019, there was a debate in the House of Representatives with the minister. This focused on the question of when the right to demonstrate turns into intimidation of women who choose abortion.
On 19 May 2022, Green Left MP Corinne Ellemeet and co-sponsor Songül Mutluer of the Labour Party brought the issue to the attention of Health Minister Kuipers again, this time. A ban on the demonstrations has so far not been passed. Minister Kuipers argued that local solutions, such as buffer zones around all clinics, should be looked at first. This would prevent protesters from standing too close to a clinic.
December 2019: Abortion Without Borders
Abortion Without Borders helps Polish women maintain access to safe abortion care through the sending of an abortion pill or treatment at a clinic abroad. It is an international collaboration between six organisations, including Abortion Network Amsterdam.
April 2020: Summary judgment abortion pill by post
At the beginning of the corona pandemic in the Netherlands, Bureau Clara Wichmann worked to keep abortion care accessible to all. Because of the COVID-19 measures, several women who wanted an abortion could not get to an abortion clinic. During the summary proceedings Trix (alias) v state in April 2020, Bureau Clara Wichmann and Women on Waves supported Trix, a single mother in the first trimester of her unwanted pregnancy. She was unable to leave her house because her child had corona complaints. The court in The Hague rejected the request to allow the abortion pill to be sent by post. Women must necessarily pick it up at a clinic.
April 2020: Second evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act
The second evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act again found that the law works well in practice and is well observed. However, the researchers did see some bottlenecks, such as the mandatory reconsideration period. During the first evaluation in 2005, they had also advised abolishing the compulsory reconsideration period. However, the government did not adopt this advice in both cases.
November 2020: 'Abortion Saves Lives' campaign
The Overground launched the'Abortion Saves Lives' campaign, seeking to counter the misleading portrayal by anti-abortion organisations. They showed that the majority of women 'stand by their decision, have no regrets and that relief is the most common emotion after an abortion.'
April 2022: Ava founded
The first Dutch advocacy organisation for rights around contraception and abortion: this is how the Ava Foundation presented itself to the Netherlands in early 2022. Ava provides reliable information on abortion, facilitates contact between women and advocates for women's wishes based on its own research. Ava is an initiative of the Humanist Alliance.
May 2022: Solidarity demonstration on Dam Square
In May 2022, the draft version of the US Supreme Court leaked. From it, the world learned that Roe v. Wade from 1973 was going to be repealed. This also came in as a shock in the Netherlands. The following Saturday, 7 May 2022, about a thousand protesters gathered at Dam Square in solidarity. They warned of threats to abortion rights in the Netherlands. They therefore called for abortion to be removed from the Penal Code, one of the original demands of the abortion struggle in the 1970s and early 1980s. Dolle Mina was also present at this demonstration.
June 2022: End of mandatory reflection period
The Senate agreed on 21 June 2022 to abolish the five-day mandatory reflection period in abortion. A reflection period will still apply, but from 1 January 2023, the pregnant woman will decide in consultation with the doctor how long the reflection period should be prior to the abortion. The abolition of the mandatory five-day reflection period was the first amendment to the Termination of Pregnancy Act since it came into force in 1984.
The proposal to amend the law was tabled in 2021 by MPs Paternotte (D66), Kuiken (PvdA), Ellemeet (GroenLinks) and Van Wijngaarden (VVD), and on 10 February 2022 it was passed by the Lower House with a large majority. A large majority also voted in favour in the Senate.
October 2022: Citizens' initiative abortion out of the Penal Code
'Abortion is not a crime.' That was the name of the citizens' initiative by BNNVARA, the TV programme Spuiten en Slikken and the Humanistisch Verbond to remove abortion from the Penal Code. They argued for abortion to be removed from the Penal Code and placed under the regular healthcare system. This would better protect the right to abortion.
At 40,000 signatures, the subject of a citizens' initiative will be placed on the agenda of the Lower House. For 'Abortion is not a crime', 93,689 signatures were collected.
December 2022: Abortion pill by GP
The second amendment to the abortion law followed. On 6 December 2022, the Upper House agreed to the proposal to allow GPs to provide the abortion pill. The initiative proposal had been tabled in 2018 by the same MPs as for the amendment to the law to abolish the mandatory time of reflection. On 15 March 2022, it was passed by a large majority in the House of Representatives.
The abortion pill was already used in clinics and hospitals up to 9 weeks of pregnancy. The fact that it can now also be dispensed by GPs improves accessibility to abortion care. Women on Waves and Bureau Clara Wichmann, among others, campaigned for this.
2023: Debate and initiative bill abortion out of the Penal Code
24 May 2023 saw the debate on the citizens' initiative Abortion is not a crime.
MP Corinne Ellemeet (GroenLinks-PvdA) submitted an initiative bill to remove abortion from the Penal Code on 15 November 2023.
2024: European Parliament (EP) resolution on right to abortion in EU Charter
On 11 April 2024, the European Parliament adopted a resolution urging the addition of sexual and reproductive health care and the right to safe and legal abortion to the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights.
2025: Abortion debate and motions on reconsideration and evaluation
On 20 February 2025, the House of Representatives debated abortion and a number of motions were tabled. The motion requesting the government to look into the impact of the abolished compulsory reconsideration time on the increase in abortions was passed. So was the motion to bring forward the evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act and start it within 2 years.
On 20 February 2025, the House of Representatives debated abortion and voted on three motions. The motion that proposed registering the reasons for an abortion was rejected. The other two motions: requesting the government to look into the impact of the abolished mandatory reconsideration period on the increase in abortions and to bring forward the evaluation of the Termination of Pregnancy Act and start it within 2 years, were passed.
On 2 October 2025, a motion by MPs Stoffer (SGP), Van Meijeren (FvD) and Bikker (CU) was adopted, calling on the government to actively oppose efforts in the EU to include abortion as a human right in European treaties.
* By 'abortion' in this timeline, we refer to 'abortion provocatus', or the deliberate termination of a pregnancy.
