I was in a cafe tonight just before the Abortion Rights meeting which was about the amendments to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill (HFE) where I ended up chatting to an Irish woman who was a member of Alliance for Choice.
She was over here, as part of a 40 woman team to support the amendment to extend the abortion rights to the north of Ireland. Forty being politically symbolic as 40 women each week leave the north to obtain an abortion elsewhere.
And that costs between £600 to £2,000. Access to abortion is very much a class issue and if you can’t get the money then a woman is pushed into a desperate situation that include backstreet abortions. Women also end up buying RU486 aka abortion pill over the web, taking pot luck as they don’t know what they are buying. Desperate circumstances bring desperate measures.
At the meeting a speaker from Family Planning Association NI spoke about the constant anti-abortion protesters outside clinics were screams of “murderer” is common and so is harassment. And yet during the past 40 years around 80,000 Irish women have travelled to obtain an abortion. It is not God’s law (or whatever the latest reactionary nonsense from Iris Robinson and the rest of the unholy alliance) but a woman’s right to control her own body. Where she does not have to travel abroad to fulfill that right. Where she isn’t judged, moralised, lectured, undermined and pressured by religious doctrine but her right to choose.
And globally, we see the constant attacks on a woman’s right to choose along with the further erosion of gains made (and now we see anti-abortionists Sarah Palin and John McCain in the States).
It reminded me talking to a young woman who had just got involved in the campaign as she supported the demands. I said I first joined NAC (National Abortion Campaign before it became Abortion Rights) in 1987….and twenty odd yrs on, I am still fighting for a woman’s right to choose and defending the ‘67 Act.
This will possibly our final chance for a very long time to liberalise abortion rights. The amendments will be debated in Parliament on the 22 October. Improving a woman’s right to choose include:
Removing anti-abortion doctors’ obstruction: Evan Harris MP tabled this amendment that would mean one doctor rather than two would be required to authorise the procedure.
Extending access to safe legal abortion to women in NI: Tabled by Diane Abbott
Increasing the pool of abortion practitioners: tabled by Frank Dobson. That would mean suitably trained nurses to carry out early abortions.
Allowing more local abortion services: tabled by Jacqui Lait. Would allow abortions to take place in doctor’s surgeries and family planning clinics.
Allowing women to take the 2nd stage of an early medical abortion at home: tabled by Chris McCafferty. This would allow women the option of taking the 2nd stage of the early abortion pill at home with follow-up and care.
Banning deliberately misleading advertising: tabled by John Bercow. This would protect women from being misled into using “crisis pregnancy counselling services” that do not provide clear, non-directional, evidence based information.
The anti-abortion amendments are:
Increasing the numbers of drs required to approve late abortions; Restricting the grounds for abortion – foetal impairment; “Cooling off” delays; Restricting grounds for abortion on mental health; Banning abortion after 24 wks on grounds of foetal impairment.
To reiterate and echo many of the political sentiments made by the speakers, it is imperative that women control their bodies, not be infantilised by being told what is good for us women by others. It is our duty to fight for control. To bring abortion rights into the 21st century.
Wendy Savage quoted the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) who say that the 2 drs signatures is an “anachronism”. Interestingly, she said that originally they opposed the 1967 Act but was pleased that they are supporting the liberalising of abortion rights.
But regarding extending abortion to the north of Ireland, it was mentioned about Brown’s shit*y and grubby deal with the reactionary DUP over 42 days…. by denying a woman’s right to choose in the north in the process. And it is important to show solidarity with Irish activists fighting the constant battle for a woman’s fundamental right to control her own body.
The lack of control women face over their reproductive rights and fertility exposes the fear of equality and liberation. Women being able to decide what’s best and not the church or the state… but women. Wresting control from the clutches of patriarchal capitalism.
But as speakers from the floor argued what is just as paramount to a woman’s right to choose is a functioning health service. It is difficult to obtain an abortion on the NHS and like always, straightforward if you have the money. Again, this highlights that abortion is a class issue. One woman spoke of women now seeking back street abortions as they can’t afford to go private. The demand of free safe legal abortion is as vital as ever especially with the encroachment of privatisation.
Please support the amendments. Contact your MP to ask how they will vote. Hopefull there will be activities arranged for the 22nd October when the Bill will be debated.
Support a woman’s right to choose. No going back…..
October 8, 2008 at 2:11 pm |
[...] At the meeting a speaker from Family Planning Association NI spoke about the constant anti-abortion protesters outside clinics were screams of “murderer” is common and so is harassment. And yet during the past 40 years around 80,000 Irish women have travelled to obtain an abortion. It is not God’s law (or whatever the latest reactionary nonsense from Iris Robinson and the rest of the… read more [...]
October 8, 2008 at 11:52 pm |
“I first joined NAC (National Abortion Campaign before it became Abortion Rights) in 1987….and twenty odd yrs on, I am still fighting for a woman’s right to choose and defending the ‘67 Act.”
Must make you 40-odd. If you don’t mind me asking, have you any children ?
October 9, 2008 at 9:23 am |
Nope, it makes me late 30s.
October 9, 2008 at 2:53 pm |
Don’t worry about Laban Harpy… I think he is origninally from Bromsgrove so he is relatively harmless
October 13, 2008 at 11:28 am |
[...] reminds us of what is at stake in Liberalise abortion rights: support a woman’s right to choose: "I ended up chatting to an Irish woman who was a member of Alliance for [...]
October 19, 2008 at 2:41 pm |
May I be allowed the following observations on the abortion human/animal hybrid experimentation Bill, that reaches its final stage in the House of Commons this week.
Firstly, there is not a shred of evidence that such experiments will help one single person suffering from a degenerative disease. It seems the end by which they justify the means rests on a massive ‘ if ‘ !
Surely this is a false, emotive reason to experiment with nature and justify playing God. It is rather arrogant that so many naive politicians cry ‘ just think of the millions it might help’ when, in truth, it is likely to help no one. But the truth doesn’t sound so good or win popularity.
Secondly, the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is a measure of how far our nation has fallen– the sanctity of human life no longer has much value with many ‘ trendy liberal minded MP’s’, in all parties. Listening to some of them speak in the House of Commons at the second reading of the abortion debate was truly sickening. But not satisfied with their empty victory at the second reading, it seems their insatiable liberal appetite holds no bounds, they now want even more liberalisation of our already very liberal abortion laws, and even extend their proposals to Northern Ireland where all Ulster MP’s have clearly stated they want no changes to their own unique abortion laws. They are the elected representatives of the ulster people and they know that any changes could cause untold unrest in the Province.
As a nation we are only as civilised as our treatment of the most vulnerable amongst us. No one is more vulnerable and less valued in our society than the unborn human child. Have we become so selfish, so callous that we just don’t care anymore? Over 97% of the 200,000 plus abortions carried out every year in England, Wales & Scotland are for social reasons only. How very sad.
It’s about time the public were made aware of the reality of what happens in our abortion clinics every day, rather than continuing the to believe the myths and misinformation fed to them by pro-abortion lobbyists.
They often have a vested interest in the continuing success of this vile industry, which spends hundreds of thousands of pounds lobbying MP’s to protect its interests——all under the guise of women’s rights, which it seems no MP dares to question (Well it’s not PC is it?).
Before the final debate on these very emotive moral issues, perhaps all MP’s should consider this:
‘Next time you meet a child from a poor neighbourhood, a physically or mentally disabled person, someone who has had corrective surgery for a cleft palate or club foot, or even amongst ethnic minority groups where males are more valued than females —- ask them a simple question. Are you glad to be alive or do you wish your mother had exercised her right to choose to abort you?’
October 19, 2008 at 4:08 pm |
Let the liberal left force their views on Northern Ireland and ignore the views of the vast majority of the people of Ulster and their elected representatives. That will prove yet again that these people don’t believe in democracy. Let them stir up a hornets nest and bring the truth out in the public domain, leading to abortion being a main issue at the next General Election. What is the saying, ‘give them enough rope and they will succeed in hanging themselves’.
But Can Gordon Brown afford to lose the Catholic, Christian and Muslim vote at the next election? I think not……….So come on trendy liberals, militant feminist and other pro -abortionist sypathisers, why not do your worst?.