The ocean, and the opportunistic quirk in maritime law, allowed Gomperts, in her words, to help women “give themselves the license” to induce a miscarriage. More broadly, Women on Waves aims to “de-medicalize” an issue that, for Gomperts and many other women, is a matter of personal health. By taking her passengers offshore, Gomperts said she was trying to remove doctors (including herself) and the state as intermediaries between women and control over their own bodies.
