It seems that some of you have only just found out that the NUS Women’s Campaign has been running a year-long campaign called Pro-Choice and Proud of it and some of you aren’t very happy.

There’s been a lot of huffing and puffing, rude emails in my inbox, telling me you are leaving NUS or refusing to collect your NUS card…

So, once I again I shall endeavour to put across the point of view of the Women’s Campaign.

1. Pro-Choice and Proud of it is not a new campaign. We ran it in the last academic year (2004-2005). Whether or not we re-run it is up to Women’s Committee (we’re meeting tomorrow so I’ll let you know).
2. You (all men thus far) keep telling me that I am being unrepresentative. Erm, no. You’re wrong on this one. I’ve been going to NUS Women’s Conferences for about 5 years now (I think) and each and every year we overwhelmingly pass policy IN FAVOUR of a woman’s right to choose. Last year’s priority campaign was based on a mandate from Women’s Conference. Every affiliated union gets to send a (woman) delegate and submit policy to Women’s Conference. Every year we pass pro-choice policy. Unrepresentative? How so?
3. NUS is not a charity and is not bound by ultra-vires. Educating students about issues that could affect them is not ultra-vires. Campaigning to make sure students get the best support, services and information to get them through their course or degree is not ultra-vires. And here’s a conundrum. Those of you that say that NUS and student unions shouldn’t be allowed to run pro-choice campaigns aren’t exactly quick off the mark to condemn pro-life groups from running campaigns about abortion from their perspective, are you? Glasshouses my friends, glasshouses. It works both ways.
4. NUS is a bottom-up organisation and is a confederation of affiliated student unions who elect the National Executive Committee to run NUS on their behalf. SU presidents are not branch officials who do what “head office” tells them. It’s the other way round. You give us a mandate, we carry it out. Your union is (or should be - sort it out if it’s not the case) autonomous from NUS and (pay attention here) your college or university. Your SU is run by the students at your college for the students at your college.
5. The NUS Women’s Campaign, its Committee and its sabbatical Women’s Officer (me) are all autonomous from NUS, though we are very much a vibrant and active part of it.
6. We believe that women should be the sole decision makers over our own bodies, from our right to consensual sex, to the right to decide what to do if we become pregnant.
7. Did you know that making abortion illegal doesn’t stop women from having one? Women on Waves estimates that one woman dies every six minutes because of an unsafe or illegal abortion. Be honest - which would you really prefer? Abortions carried out by medically trained professionals, or women having back street abortions, putting their own lives in danger and risking horrible, gruesome, painful deaths? Think about it.
8. . Less than 2% of abortions in England and Wales are carried out after 20 weeks' gestation. The usual reason for a late termination is late awareness of pregnancy.
9. The BMA recently rejected a motion at their conference to back a lower time limit by a three-to-one majority.
10. Being pro-choice isn’t about mandatory abortions for every woman who becomes pregnant. It’s about allowing women to make their own decisions about their own bodies. No-one who is pro-choice would tell another woman what to do about a pregnancy, so why can’t you accept that you have no right to tell other women what to do? Why can’t we just agree to make our choices and not condemn others for doing the same?

Phew, glad that rant is out of my system. If you wish to continue the debate, I have two suggestions:

1. Get your facts straight.

2. Then drop me an email on jo.salmon@nus.org.uk

If you want to find out more or get involved, then you can also email me!!

Best wishes,

Jo Salmon
Proud to be your pro-choice NUS National Women’s Officer

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