Victory for progressives on abortion and same sex couples

Added on 21/05/2008

NUS, through the Women’s and LGBT campaigns, won key victories for both women and lesbian couples yesterday (20 May) when parliament voted in our favour on abortion-rights and the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.

Legislation proposing to reduce the legal time limit for abortion from 24 weeks to either 12, 16, 20 or 22 weeks was defeated and legislation proposing to obstruct same sex couples from accessing IVF treatment was also.

NUS’ Women’s and LGBT Campaigns are delighted that their long-term campaigning to defend and extend the rights of women and LGBT people has paid off.

NUS Women’s Officer Kat Stark said “Students should feel proud of themselves because we have worked hard, in our unions, on our campuses and with our MPs in the run up to the vote on Tuesday. The lobbying, demonstrating and campaigning work that women’s officers have led on has had national impact and we have successfully defended a woman’s right to choose.

”Students should also feel proud of the impact they have had in defeating homophobic attempts to block same-sex couples, and single women, from having children.

”From listening to the debates in the House of Commons on Tuesday, it is clear that there is still widespread sexism and homophobia in parliament today. We need to make sure that we continue to campaign to eradicate ignorance and discrimination in parliament and in society – let this victory fuel us as we go forward in our fight for equality for all.”

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Pro-choice support came from a wide breadth of people.

Jo Brand, the comedian said
"This time limit argument is a total red herring. It's the same old anti-abortionists with their anti-women agenda, making up the science as they go along. MPs should have no truck with it."

Christine McCafferty, Labour MP said
"There has been no significant improvement in the survival of babies born before 24 weeks gestation over the last 12 years, despite medical advances. If the current limit were reduced, it would have an adverse impact on the very small number of women or girls, who do seek late abortions."

Dr Evan Harris, Liberal Democrat MP said
"There has been a campaign of misinformation, assertion and irrelevant information about the abortion time limit led by very well funded organisations opposed to all abortion. Sadly, the evidence shows that it simply isn't the case that wanted babies born below 24 weeks are more likely to survive. It is a cruel deception on parents with pre-term babies. It would be astonishing if Parliament took a view against the united approach of all the relevant medical institutions."

Robert Key, Conservative MP said
"I am a member of the general synod of the Church of England. A recent Church of England briefing to MPs said that any support for campaigns to change the abortion law would be on the proviso that such measures were evidence based. I am yet to be convinced that lowering from 24 weeks would significantly reduce the abortion rate and I believe there are alternative answers. I think the answer is a massive advance in responsible sex education."

Julie Bentley, Chief Executive fpa (Family Planning Association) said
"The few women who need later abortion are the hardest cases - very vulnerable women in incredibly difficult circumstances. Some women don't recognise the symptoms of pregnancy, sometimes because of poor sex education - they believe the myths, like you can't get pregnant if you're a virgin. People don't make these decisions lightly and women do need the time to make that decision."

Wendy Savage, Doctors for A Woman's Choice on Abortion said
"As one of the few doctors who has performed later abortion in Britain, I know how difficult the cases are. In one case, after 1990, I had a call from A and E about a young 17 year old, 26 weeks pregnant who had been held captive as a domestic worker, raped by her boss and was going to kill herself if her pregnancy wasn't ended. I hope that right, logic and evidence will prevail amongst MPs."

Louise Hutchins, Abortion Rights Campaign Coordinator said
"Nadine Dorries MP's crusade to turn back the clock on women's reproductive rights shows an appalling disregard for women and the difficult circumstances that they sometimes face. Lowering the time limit would be devastating for this small number of women and force some to continue with a pregnancy against their will - causing long term psychological and physical harm, others will travel abroad for a later abortion if they can afford to and others, will risk a dangerous illegal back-street option. MPs need to understand that women will be watching very carefully how MPs vote on Tuesday. We are protesting to make sure women's voices are heard loud and clear to defend 24 weeks."

A women’s right to choose

Added on 08/05/2008

NUS is pro-choice and the organisation’s stance, set at women’s conference and supported by the disabled students’ campaign, is to defend and extend access to abortion.

The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill is hitting parliament in May. There are opportunities and there are serious threats to a woman’s right to choose. This is the biggest threat to our access to safe legal abortion in a generation. The message we want to send to MPs is simple – don’t attack the 24-week time limit and offer full access to women for safe, legal abortion on the NHS

The majority of people in the UK support our views and keeping the 24-week time limit is supported by a cross party science and technology select committee. However, the anti-choice movement is loud and therefore you still need to lobby your MP.

Take action
Attend the protest as MPs vote on women's abortion rights
Tuesday 20 May, 5.30pm
Outside parliament.

Write to your MP. A model letter is available on the Abortion Rights homepage.

Find your MP here.

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Disabled students' pro-choice stance
Many disabled women have abortions after 20 weeks. This can be for a variety of legitimate reasons and the current campaign to reduce the time limit will harm disabled women who may be forced to go through a pregancy against their will or forced to consider illegal abortions.

NUS believes that anti-choice MPs are also pushing for debates around disability and abortion - in an attempt to limit access to abortion in any way that they can. We further believe that anti-choice campaigners are using disability as a political tool and this is offensive to disabled people. Some anti-choice campaigners argue that women should not be able to have abortions on the grounds of disability, however, we argue that women should not have to give any reason at all for accessing abortion and that if a woman doesn’t want to have a baby then that is her ultimate choice. Within the social model of disability, there is no such thing as a ‘disabled foetus’ – the disablism does not happen at the point where the woman chooses to abort – the disablism happens all the time, there is a disabling lack of information provided for pregnant women, and our disablist society sometimes means that individual women feel that they would not be able to cope.

• NUS reaffirms our support for a woman’s right to choose whether to have an abortion or not.
• NUS campaigns for accurate, non-directive information to be given to women upon discovering there is a chance of foetal impairment.
• NUS continues our productive work with Abortion Rights and will follow its advice on campaigning should this issue arise in the next five years.
• NUS never allows anti-choice campaigners, with ulterior motives, to divide the Disabled Students Campaign and the Women’s Campaign – not least because of the cross over of Disabled Women who experience multiple discrimination in their lives.

Seeing Double

Added on 22/04/2008

The Fawcett Society, a campaign organisation who focus on gender equality, has produced a collection of essays on the lives of ethnic minority women in Britain today.

Seeing Double includes an interview with Dawn Butler MP, discussing her experiences a black women member of Parliament, as well as a number of pieces contributed by ethnic minority women with a variety of perspectives.

Use this to provoke debate in your women's or black students' campaign groups.

Katie Curtis elected as women's officer (2008/09)

Added on 13/03/2008

Katie Curtis has been elected as Women's Officer for 2008/09 at this week's women's campaign conference in Coventry.

Currently one of the Block of 12 NEC non-portfolio officers, with a specific remit for vocational students in HE such as teachers, medics and nurses, Katie was previously President of the University of Winchester students' union in 2006/07. She has also been a member of the NUS mature students' committee and the LGBT officer for the SEANUS (South East Area National Union of Students (UK)) area committee.

Women and graduate debt

Added on 05/03/2008

Ask your MP to sign EDM 643.

Download the Briefing and Model letter here.