Governments step up attacks on abortion rights This year, 1985, marks the end of the United Nations decade for Women (see International Viewpoint No 71, March 11 1985). Governments are meeting in Nairobi, Kenya to discuss how much they have supposedly done for women in the last ten years. Of course, the reality is that anything women have achieved, they have won through struggle and collective action.
The last few years has seen growing attacks on women's rights and in particular on women's right to abortion and her right to control her own body. In the following article we examine the right-wing offensive on abortion rights, one of the most basic of democratic rights which reveals just what some of these governments have really been doing for women.
comparing the 'murder of one and a half million unborn human lives..? to Hitler's holocaust. He does not of course mention that the Nazis outlawed abortion and contraception, reducing women to the status of breeders for the nation.
The campaign against women's right to choose was given a tremendous boost earlier this year when president Reagan himself spoke by telephone to over 70,000 anti-abortion demonstrators in Washington (the largest number of anti-abortionists ever assembled in the capital assuring them that he supported an amendment to the constitution. He has also sponsored the film, the Silent Scream being used to convince congress members against women's abortion rights. This film, which is now being used around the world has even been condemned by anti-abortion doctors as thoroughly distorting what abortion is really all about.
The demonstration in fact marked the twelfth anniversary of the legalisation of abortion in the US. Since that time abortion rights have actually been eroded away without any votes being taken on the issue. In 1976 government funding for abortion was stopped and today 80 per cent of all the county and city hospitals do not perform abortions. The clinics currently under attack are therefore of vital importance for women. Moreover, young women have been singled out for attack. Legislatures in 12 states, are considering passing bills that would require women under the age of 18 to notify their parents or get consent before a clinic, hospital or doctor can pertorm an abortion. Parental notification statements are already required in eight states. Such measures highlight the hypocrisy and irresponsibility of a society which deems that a young woman can be forced into an unwanted pregnancy (with all the tremendous responsibility that that implies) but that she is too young to make up her own mind about whether she actually wants a child.
The women's movement in the US has not let such attacks go by without a response. Vigils have been organised at 25 of the clinics most constantly under threat and escort services have been set up to take women to and from the clinics. Demonstrations and other activities have also been organised by groups such as the Abortion Rights Action League and the Coalition to End Clinic Violence as well as local chapters 1. See International Viewpoint Nos 70, 71, February 25 and March 11, 1985.
International Viewpoint 29 July 1985
Judith BAKER
In the context of an economic crisis governments across the world are seeking to strengthen the family unit and women's role within it. Control of women's right to abortion and contraception, at any rate in the metropolitan countries, fits in neatly with this strategy. Women's role as child bearers must be emphasised so that the family can act as a buffer in the capitalist crisis and women can provide a cheap pool of labour. It is in this context that under an extremely reactionary Pope, the Catholic Church in many countries has placed itself at the head of a campaign against women's abortion rights. to *Governments are urged to take appropriate action to help women avoid abortion which in no case should be provided as a method of contraception...' This was the final wording of a resolution passed at the International Conference on Population Control held in Mexico City last August, with Sweden the only country voting against. (1)
Whilst not decisive in itself the conference came at a time of renewed attacks on abortion rights in certain countries. Such attacks fall into two main categories; a mounting campaign by right-wing and Catholic fanatics with the implicit or explicit support of the Church hierarchy against abortion rights, which is now involving violence and abuse; and secondly either approval or capitulation by governments or government representatives to such campaigns, which also include pressure for changes in legislation.
In Europe, moreover, there is a growing debate on population control which has taken on racist connotations. In April 1984 a proposal was adopted by the EEC (from the French 'socialist' government) to investigate ways of promoting a baby boom in Europe because of the declining (European) population.
Attacks on abortion rights have not gone unanswered however, as the following examination of the situation demonstrates. In the USA... the issue is indeed becoming urgent. In 1984, there were an estimated 300 attacks on abortion clinics with at least thirty of those involving fires and bomb attacks. Doctors and nurses working in abortion clinics have been harassed as have the women using them, in a tactic which has become known as 'sidewalk counselling'. Women who have had abortions have been telephoned in their own homes and called murderers. Few convictions have been made as a result of these activities but Catholic priests and Catholic-sponsored organisations are known to have been involved. In Alabama recently one Reverend Markley was finally convicted, after two previous acquittals, of attacking the Birmingham women's clinic with a sledgehammer. Such extreme activity is the work of a whole network of small prolife groups such as the Pro-Life Action League, the Pro-life Non Violent Action Committee, the Vietnam Veterans against Abortion. Catholics United for Life, People Expressing Concern for Everyone (PEACE), Feminists for Life and Women Exploited by Abortion (WEBA). There are also broader organisations including the Pro-Life Action League and the Right to Life League and the March for Life. The latter group aims to introduce an amendment to the US constitution which would say that the paramount right to life is vested in each human being at the moment of fertilisation, without regard to aid, health or condition of dependency'. Whilst condeming violent activity, important figures in the Catholic hierarchy have recently become more involved in the public debate. John O Connor, the archbishop of New York,
of the National Organisation of Women (NOW).
In Canada ... the main issue facing the women's movement at present is the defence of abortion clinics set up by Dr Henry Morgentaler in direct defiance of Canada's abortion law which stipulates that abortions must be performed in hospitals with the consent of three doctors. Morgentaler has just been acquitted for the fourth time on charges in connection with this. His acquittal was due to the massive campaign launched by the women's movement in Canada which has given them tremendous confidence for the battles ahead.
Similar violent attacks on abortion clinics have been launched by right-wing extremists and, as in the US, such attacks form the backdrop to potential legal threats to abortion rights in different states. This is particularly the case in Quebec which provides the best abortion service of any state under its present provincial administration. This administration may shortly be replaced by anti-abortion supporters.
In Australia ... the pro-abortion movement has been facing attacks on several fronts ... most notably from the forces of law and order themselves ... the
The six Australian state governments have adopted different abortion laws in the past. Victoria and New South Wales allow abortion on social grounds. Other states (especially Queensland) are more restrictive. It was in Queensland then, that on May 20 of this year, police launched a massive raid on two abortion clinics. Women's medical files were seized and two doctors were arrested.
This activity by the state itself has coincided with renewed activity by right to life' campaigners who have been picketing clinics in other states.
It also coincides with the current passage through parliament of Brian Harradine's private members bill to outlaw experimentation on human embryos. This bill is modelled on a similar bill discussed in the British parliament and implies a definition of human life' which could eventually make abortion, and some forms of contraception, illegal.
Australian women are campaigning against such attacks and groups in Queensland in particular have issued a special appeal to women internationally for messages of support. They can be sent to Children by Choice, 237 Lutwyche Road, Windsor, Queensland 4030, Australia.
In New Zealand ... violence is also being used to prevent women obtaining safe legal abortions. In November 1984 there was an arson attempt at the Auckland Medical Aid Trust hospital (a private abortion clinic) and more recently on May 7, this year, a molotov cocktail was thrown at a building in Christehurch which is currently International Viewpoint 29 July 1985 being converted into a free standing abortion clinic. A group named Christians for Life had previously picketted the local hospital board when the decision to set up the clinic was first taken.
In Great Britain ... the offensive of right-wing Catholic pressure groups has been given a tremendous boost by two recent events. The first was the high court decision to ban the issuing of contraceptives and abortion advice to under-16 year olds without parental permission. The second was the attempt by right-wing member of parliament, Enoch Powell to introduce a bill banning all experimentation on human embryos on the grounds of protecting the right to life.' Although the bill fell, the government itself has now pledged to introduce legislation on this issue, based on the report of the Warnock committee. This committee recommends that experimentation could be permitted before 14 days thus giving its definition of when human life begins. This in the context where abortion services are suffering anyway because of cutbacks in public spending.
WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT PREGNANCY? ISMASH THE WHITE BENTON CORRTE POWELL BILL!
The debates and discussions on embryo research seek deliberately to pit women's interests against those of the so called 'unborn child'. It is clear that people like Enoch Powell have no concern whatsoever about the quality of women's lives, nor in the controlled use of research for the benefit of women and children alike.
The National Abortion Campaign and others have mounted a response to this and have pinpointed the importance of the women's movement developing their own response to these type of debates.
In Switzerland ... a recent attempt to introduce a change in the country's constitution to protect the rights of the foetus has recently been defeated by a two to one majority in a referendum. However, the right wing were able to use the opportunity of the referendum to launch a massive propaganda offensive on the issue. In its platform address the 'Right to Life' committee, which launched the initiative, labelled women seeking abortions as 'selfish' saying that any woman who wanted 'to control her own womb' was no more than a 'modern day witch'.
In Belgium ...there have been trials of doctors in Brussels, Bruges, Furnes and Ghent. In Ghent, an abortion clinic was recently raided by police supposedly investigating tax frauds. Women patients in the clinic were harassed and interrogated in an attempt to get them to admit to having an illegal abortion. The attack on abortion is also coming from the top levels of government. A government minister has appealed against the acquittal of Doctor Van Haelen from the town of Nivelles, accused of procuring illegal abortions. The doctor was acquitted of this charge on grounds of a situation of moral distress'. If the appeal is upheld other doctors will find themselves in an increasingly difficult situation.
In Spain ... the socialist-dominated government was elected on a promise of liberalising abortion. It has still failed to do so because it has capitulated to the right-wing offensive despite the highly active campaign by the womens movement. In 1983 the Cortes adopted a bill allowing abortion in cases of damage to the health of the woman or the foetus and in cases of pregnancies brought about by rape.
It is calculated that this would help only 3% of Spanish women, the majority of whom have to, either suffer unwanted pregnancies, or go abroad to procure abortions.
A constitutional tribunal consisting of one woman and 11 men recently challenged even this inadequate proposal, saying that it did not guaran tee enough rights for the foetus [see International Viewpoint No 76, May 1985]. The womens movement has thus had to take up the cudgels against both the government's thoroughly inadequate proposal and the attempts by the tribunal to prevent anything that would further the cause of women.
In Greece ... the PASOK government, recently re-elected, has similarly failed to introduce promised legislation despite a massive campaign by feminists who have signed a petition stating that they have had an (illegal) abortion.
This type of hesitation by social democratic governments has allowed the extreme right to get the upper hand on this, as on so many other issues, and has done the most tremendous disservice to women. In Brazil for example the left-wing governor of Rio de Janeiro Leonel Brizola, recently gave in to pressures from the Catholic church not to make abortions more easily available. Such examples are manifold and only serve to contribute to the worldwide offensive on women's abortion rights and on their right to control their own bodies.
If the women's and labour movement worldwide lose the battle on this, one of the most basic rights that women must have, then the prospects for any advance for women in this decade or the next will begin to look very grim indeed. What is required, is not polite discussions in a luxury hotel in Nairobi, but an international campaign to defend abortion and contraception rights worldwide and to make a reality the universal demand of the women's movement -Not the Church, not the State, Women must decide their fate.'
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BRITAIN