Abortion should not be a crime – Time To Act
Protest to demand legal reform to the abortion law in Great Britain
Meet at 1pm Saturday 17th June at The Royal Courts of Justice, and march approximately 1.2 miles to Westminster for a rally which will finish approx 4pm
Join BPAS, the Women’s Equality Party, and the Fawcett Society
Details here
Information from the protest organisers
This week, a woman in England was sentenced to 28 months in prison after using abortion pills to end her own pregnancy.
This mother-of-three was prosecuted under a law passed in 1861 which states that any woman in Great Britain who attempts to end her own pregnancy outside a set of strict criteria can face up to life imprisonment. This is the harshest penalty in the world.
The number of women facing criminal investigation under Great Britain’s cruel and outdated abortion law is increasing.
Last year, a young mother, who used abortion medication in a failed attempt to end her own pregnancy, was dragged before the courts after her own medical team reported her to the police.
A 15 year old girl was accused of an illegal abortion after suffering a stillbirth. The police seized her laptop and phone during her GCSEs, and she was driven to self-harm.
Unless the law is reformed, more women and girls will face the trauma of lengthy police investigations and even the threat of prison.
It is time to act now.
Accessibility: We want to ensure that this march is accessible, safe, and comfortable for all who want to join, and are providing the option of minibus transport along the route and BSL interpretation for the rally. If you have any access requirements, please contact BPAS at lucy.grieve@bpas.org.
Abortion Rights responded to the sentencing, with the statement below.
Kerry Abel, Chair of Abortion Rights responded:
“One in three women will have an abortion in her lifetime, abortion is a normal part of healthcare and everyone should have access to healthcare.
“Pills by post was a significant measure that reduced countless socio-economic barriers to abortion care during the pandemic. It has rightly been maintained because it reduced waiting times and has been rated well by patients.
“Abortion Rights is concerned about the increase in prosecutions of abortion cases. Such developments are particularly alarming if it means women and pregnant people feel they can’t talk freely about their situation with medical professionals.
“We’re calling for better patient-focused abortion care and for policies that are sensitive to patients’ situations. Involving law enforcement does not help health care professionals to deliver sensitive, supportive and vital abortion care to their patients.”
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• Abortion Rights is the UK pro-choice campaign, ‘
• Abortion Rights campaigns for safe, free, legal and local abortions accessible to all. We campaign through a mix of parliamentary lobbying and grassroots activism to ensure that we represent the 9 in 10 who believe in access to abortion.
• One in three women will have an abortion by the time she is 45.
Facts and Statistics Self-Managed Abortions
- Women report finding self-managed abortion with approved medication safe, effective and convenient.
- Major medical complications have dropped by TW0-THIRD
- waiting time for abortion has HALVED to 4.5 days and the duration of pregnancy at which abortions occur has reduced from over 8 weeks to under 7 weeks
- lowered gestational age
- Ensures access to the most vulnerable– Women in coercive or abusive relationships or living situations may be unable to leave the house without arousing suspicion in their abuser and potentially putting them in danger.
- People on low-income may be unable to afford childcare costs.
- Those who live in rural or remote areas may not be able to travel to their nearest abortion clinic, which could be many miles away.