The statements made by Maria Karystianou about abortion have sparked considerable debate, as this is an issue that was settled decades ago, specifically with a law passed by the Greek Parliament in 1986. It is notable that both the government and the majority of opposition parties moved in the same direction, condemning Maria Karystianou’s statements, while she herself attempted to retract her comments by speaking of “character assassination,” without actually explaining how her statements were distorted.
Speaking to parapolitika.gr is the founder of the non-profit organization “SUPERIOR WOMEN” and New Democracy MP Maria-Nefeli Chatziioannidou, who expresses her position in response to Maria Karystianou’s statements.
“Women’s bodily autonomy constitutes a foundation of democracy, equality, and the rule of law. It is not a privilege, not an ideological luxury, nor an issue that can be questioned based on political alignments. It is an inalienable human right, secured through social struggles, scientific knowledge, and institutional progress,” Maria-Nefeli Chatziioannidou initially emphasizes.
Maria-Nefeli Chatziioannidou’s resounding response to Karystianou’s abortion statements: What she told parapolitika.gr
“Fortunately for Greece, the right to abortion has been established for decades and has been integrated into the public health system. This achievement was not self-evident; it was the result of women’s struggles, movements, and political choices that recognized that women’s health, dignity, and lives cannot be subjected to criminalization or moral control. The essence of motherhood is intertwined with the right to choose. Anything else constitutes violence,” she further notes.
As Ms. Chatziioannidou argues, “today we must be clear: rights are not reversible without cost. Every attempt at regression, every hint of ‘reconsideration,’ every discourse that presents bodily autonomy as a subject for public consultation by third parties opens dangerous paths. History, both in Greece and internationally, has shown us that when women’s rights are put up for debate, the price is paid with lives, inequalities, and silence.”
“Women’s bodies cannot be turned into a field of political or ideological confrontation”
“Women’s bodies cannot be turned into a field of political or ideological confrontation. It cannot be decided in their absence, nor can it depend on religious, conservative, or populist pressures. And because every time the issue of women’s bodily autonomy returns to public discourse, we hear many things, often in ways that target both women themselves and younger generations, perhaps it’s time to ask what this discussion can actually offer our society,” the New Democracy MP further emphasizes.
“Instead of bringing back questions about established rights, it would be more useful for everyone to turn public dialogue toward substantive issues. Let’s talk about the need for responsible education about contraception, about prevention and health care, about the importance of supporting young people so they can make conscious decisions about their lives,” Ms. Chatziioannidou underlines.
“Let’s talk, primarily, about children who are born and raised under difficult conditions. About families that need support, about social inequalities that are solved with serious policies. Let’s talk about women who raise children alone, about working mothers who balance between work and family, about women’s need to have support through actions and not criticism. And finally, let’s talk about men. About their responsibility in sexual education, contraception, and parenthood,” she adds.
“The discussion around women’s bodies cannot happen without comprehensively addressing social relations and gender stereotypes that burden us all. Let us all show the respect that befits women’s ability to decide about their lives without supervision, approval, or public consultation. And in this, there is room for neither asterisks nor steps backward,” concludes the New Democracy MP.
