Dr. Isabel Stabile and Dr. Natalie Psaila Stabile are key figures in the struggle for reproductive rights in Malta, a country known for having some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. Their work—both medical and activist—makes them uniquely valuable voices at any abortion rights conference.

The Maltese Context

Malta has a total abortion ban, meaning abortion is illegal in almost all circumstances, including rape, incest, or danger to the woman’s life (until very recently, even life-threatening cases faced legal uncertainty). It is the only EU country with such an absolute ban. In this context, Isabel and Natalie have shown extraordinary courage and leadership in pushing for reproductive justice and safe abortion access.

Dr. Isabel Stabile

• Gynaecologist and Professor at the University of Malta. 
• A co-founder and leading member of Doctors for Choice Malta, an organization advocating for evidence-based reproductive healthcare and abortion law reform. 
• She is vocal in media, politics, and academia on the medical, legal, and ethical need to reform Malta’s abortion laws. 
• A leading voice in challenging the Catholic and patriarchal medical norms dominating Maltese policy. 
• She brings a frontline medical and activist perspective from one of the harshest legal environments in Europe. 
• Her work exemplifies professional courage, cross-border solidarity, and health justice under oppression.

Mother and daughter Stabile embody resistance within systems of silence and criminalization. Their presence brings attention to Malta, a country often overlooked in broader abortion rights conversations. They highlight the power of cross-border networks, such as Women on Web and Women Help Women, demonstrating how even in legal deserts, care finds a way. Their participation would inspire and energize activists, professionals, and policy-makers working in similarly hostile or conservative contexts.