Emergency Protest – as MPs vote on women’s abortion rights
Abortion Rights | 15.05.2008 12:06 | Gender | Health
Tuesday 20 May, 5.30pm
Outside Parliament - details to be confirmed
Defend 24 Weeks – no reduction in abortion time limit
Tube: Westminster
Called by Abortion Rights www.abortionrights.org.uk
Outside Parliament - details to be confirmed
Defend 24 Weeks – no reduction in abortion time limit
Tube: Westminster
Called by Abortion Rights www.abortionrights.org.uk
On Tuesday 20 May Members of Parliament will debate and vote on the anti-abortion amendments to the Human Embryology and Fertilisation Bill. The key amendments aim to lower the time limit for abortion. This vote is taking place much earlier than expected and with very little notice. In the limited time available, it is vital that everyone who supports a woman’s right to choose does everything they can to show their opposition to any reduction in the time limit. Please attend this crucial protest – and encourage your trade union, women’s group, student union or other organization to send a presence. Please also write to your MP in advance of 20th to urge them to vote against any amendment to reduce the time limit. A model letter is available at www.abortionrights.org.uk
We say: women must come first. There is no significant scientific or medical support for any reduction in the time limit. Yet a handful of anti-abortionists are using downright propaganda and misinformation, hoping to intimidate and mislead MPs into attacking women’s rights. An overwhelming majority of the public supports the right to choose: MPs should uphold choice and vote down amendments by Nadine Dorries and any anti-abortion MPs.
Less than two per cent of abortions take place after 20 weeks. If successful, a lowering of the abortion time limit would be devastating for a small number of women in difficult, unforeseeable and individual circumstances and would encourage further anti-abortion attacks. Contrary to anti-abortion hype, research shows there has been no increase in survival rates for births under 24 weeks. There is opposition to any lowering of the time limit from the British Medical Association, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, British Association of Perinatal Medicine, Royal College of Nursing, TUC and national trade unions, the Department of Health and MPs across all three major parliamentary political parties.
Write to your MPPlease try to write to, email, phone or visit your MP before this vote to urge them not to vote for any lowering of the abortion time limit. If you wish you can use the model letter on Abortion Rights website or the Abortion Rights postcard.
We say: women must come first. There is no significant scientific or medical support for any reduction in the time limit. Yet a handful of anti-abortionists are using downright propaganda and misinformation, hoping to intimidate and mislead MPs into attacking women’s rights. An overwhelming majority of the public supports the right to choose: MPs should uphold choice and vote down amendments by Nadine Dorries and any anti-abortion MPs.
Less than two per cent of abortions take place after 20 weeks. If successful, a lowering of the abortion time limit would be devastating for a small number of women in difficult, unforeseeable and individual circumstances and would encourage further anti-abortion attacks. Contrary to anti-abortion hype, research shows there has been no increase in survival rates for births under 24 weeks. There is opposition to any lowering of the time limit from the British Medical Association, Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, British Association of Perinatal Medicine, Royal College of Nursing, TUC and national trade unions, the Department of Health and MPs across all three major parliamentary political parties.
Write to your MPPlease try to write to, email, phone or visit your MP before this vote to urge them not to vote for any lowering of the abortion time limit. If you wish you can use the model letter on Abortion Rights website or the Abortion Rights postcard.
Abortion Rights
e-mail:
choice@abortionrights.org.uk
Homepage:
http://www.abortionrights.org.uk
Comments
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Contact your MP now
17.05.2008 03:18
While anti-abortion campaigners have sent in hundreds of thousands of letters and postcards I am yet to see a single letter or postcard or be called by anyone who favours improving or maintaining womens access to safe pregnancy termination.
For all the blustering of posts like the one above, the fact is that abortion rights groups have been comprehensively out lobbied by bigots and are almost certain to lose out when the votes take place on Tuesday. If the abortion limit gets reduced then it will represent a disgraceful lack of effort by those who claim to represent the efforts of women to exercise choice over how they live their lives.
Go and email your MPs - trust me it will make a difference. Far too many MPs are scared about losing their seats as a result of supporting abortion rights and there is no-one warning them that they could be in danger if they vote for a cut in the time limit.
do it now