CHANGES for Women
Project owner: CHANGES for women
Responsible person: Sarah Held, Isabel Tanzer
2022
2,000 Euro Prize
AT
Civil Society / Social Economy
Poverty
Social welfare, health care
Access to abortion is regulated inconsistently throughout Austria. Abortion is currently not available in public hospitals in Vorarlberg, Tyrol, and Burgenland. In other provinces, access to abortion is limited. In the emergency of an unwanted pregnancy, the Austrian public healthcare system falls short.
CHANGES for Women provides financial support and guidance through the bureaucratic process of accessing an abortion. Our work improves economic and social equality for women and families. We help women shape their futures by giving them control over their family planning and bodies.
We work with women with an unwanted pregnancy, especially marginalised women who do not have health insurance and cannot afford the costs of an abortion. CHANGES for Women also works with hospitals and medical clinics to support women through the process of accessing an abortion.
CHANGES for Women enables social and financial independence for women based on the principle of solidarity. Through the association’s support, women with an unwanted pregnancy can shape their future – regardless of their background and financial standing.
CHANGES for Women can be implemented wherever there is little support for unintended or unwanted pregnancies, and private initiatives can receive donations.
CHANGES for Women sheds light on a hidden problem and taboo in society: access to abortion. Although abortion is allowed in Austria, access to abortion varies regionally and can pose a financial burden. CHANGES for Women bypasses charged ideological and political debates by helping women directly and highlighting women’s personal experiences. CHANGES for Women closes a gap in the Austrian health care system by offering help to women who need it and fighting for equal access to abortion.
