The parliament of the Faroe Islands narrowly voted on Wednesday to reform its decades-old abortion law, approving access to abortion “on request” up to the end of the twelfth week of pregnancy. The legislative change, passed by a razor-thin margin of 17 votes to 16, marks a historic shift for a jurisdiction long known for one of the most restrictive abortion regimes in Europe.

The vote follows years of pressure from international bodies and regional stakeholders. A 2021 dialogue organised by Nordic Council in cooperation with the United Nations CEDAW raised concerns that the Faroe Islands’ law violated women’s rights to health, equality, and self-determination. The CEDAW rapporteur argued that failure to reform the law risked pushing women toward unsafe abortions or forc

See Full Page