Emma Bonino, Activist Who Led Italy's Legalization of Abortion, Passes Away

Emma Bonino, a feminist activist who spearheaded the legalization of abortion in Italy—a country with strong Catholic Church influence—has passed away, according to ANSA and other foreign media outlets on Friday (local time).

According to foreign media, "+Europe," the Italian liberal party of which Bonino was a member, announced the news of her passing that day, paying tribute by saying, "She fought against illegal abortion, global hunger, the repression of party politics, female genital mutilation, punitive justice, genocide, and all forms of authoritarianism."

Bonino entered politics as a member of the Radical Party and played a central role in legalizing abortion in 1978.

She once recalled having an abortion at the age of 26, when the procedure was illegal, as the most humiliating experience of her life.

Bonino was elected to the Chamber of Deputies six times and to the Senate twice. In the 2000s and 2010s, she served as a European Commissioner, Italy's Minister of Foreign Affairs, and Minister of International Trade under center-left governments.

Despite differing views with the Catholic Church on issues such as abortion and euthanasia, Bonino reportedly maintained a close relationship with the late Pope Francis.

During her lifetime, Bonino shared that Pope Francis had encouraged her to continue her humanitarian struggles.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.