On Saturday January 7th we had the NUS SWD Committee where we debated and voted on the amendments that the committee will be submitting to NUS SWD Conference. There will be a blog in the next couple of days putting up the amendments and letting you know about the things that we as a committee will be putting to the conference this year but I really just wanted to blog about the pro-choice amendment that we are putting to conference, which will amend the sexuality motion.

Now there might be those of you out there who are thinking what has the pro-choice debate got to do with the swd campaign. Well unfortunately it has got to the point where we have had to have policy on it. Over the last 6 months I have been approached by a number of different women representatives who have had pro-lifers on their campuses use the issue of disability and disability cleansing in their arguments. Life could be seen as ‘smart’ to focus on the issue of abortion for fetal abnormality. These campaigners have clearly lost their argument that abortion per se is a problem: society broadly accepts abortion as a possible solution to an unwanted pregnancy. But once the issue of fetal disability is raised, it seems to complicate things. But we must remember one thing. Being Pro-choice is not about being pro-abortion- it is about believing that all women, including disabled women, have the choice what to do with their bodies and that that choice should be there’s and no one else’s. This should be the case because it is the woman's pregnancy, her future and her family that will be affected by the choice she makes. She will live with the consequences of what she decides to do; and she must have the right to make a choice.

As the NUS SWD Officer I am proud to be pro-choice. ALL women have the right to choose what they do with their bodies- full stop! This means arguing for choice and this means that we must silence the disability cleansing argument because it is making a debate about choice get too emotional. That is why the SWD committee have submitted the amendment and why we hope that it will get passed through conference. Below is the amendment as well as some information about abortion rights. If you are coming to SWD conference can I please ask that you find out about this debate, as if it does happen at conference it could be an emotive one and I think people need to find out about the issues so that they make an informed choice at conference- one that I hope will leave the emotions behind and be pro-choice. If you would like to know more or want to know how to submit this amendment to conference then please do get in touch.

Defend and extend a Disabled Woman’s Right to Choose

Conference believes

1. All women, including disabled women, have the right to make their own reproductive choices.
2. All women have the right to choose abortion for whatever reason.

Conference further believes

1. That being Pro-Choice is about an individual’s right to choose what they do with their own body.
2. That the Pro-Life Movement has been emotively using disability and 'disability cleansing' in their arguments about pro-choice.
3. No woman should be persuaded to either terminate, or carry a pregnancy to term, whatever her situation.
4. We live in a society, which discriminates against and devalues disabled people and that disabled women are denied real choice because of prejudice and discrimination in society.
5. Disabled Women’s rights to free, safe abortion are under attack by anti-choice groups mobilizing on our campuses and in some sections of Parliament.

Conference resolves

1. That the NUS SWD Campaign to be Pro-Choice and proud of it.
2. To mandate the committee to write a briefing about why the NUS SWD campaign is pro-choice and proud of it.
3. To Campaign against those that are using disability as emotive argument within the pro-choice debate.
4. To affiliate to Abortion Rights - www.abortionrights.org.uk
5. To work with the NUS Women’s Campaign on the issue of the disability and pro-choice.

Word Count: 225

Abortion Rights (www.abortionrights.org.uk) statement on disability

Abortion Rights believes that all women, including disabled women, have the right to make their own reproductive choices. All women have the right to choose abortion for whatever reason. No woman should be persuaded to either terminate, or carry a pregnancy to term, whatever her situation and whether or not the fetus shows signs of impairment. The decision of any woman to have an abortion for reasons of impairment is hers alone and should be respected.

Abortion Rights fully supports the rights of disabled people, and supports the work of the disability rights movement to bring about recognition of their dignity and human rights and to change society for the fullest participation of disabled people. Abortion Rights recognizes that we live in a society which discriminates against and devalues disabled people and that disabled women are denied real choice because of prejudice and discrimination in society.

Abortion Rights accepts the social model of disability advocated by the disability rights movement, which distinguishes between impairments and the disabling impact of these impairments depending on how society is organized and the barriers that exist to disabled people.

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