I Blogged for Choice
HiI forgot to Blog for Choice yesterday.
I'll do it today, although I know nobody is reading this.
If anyone is interested in what other blogs did for 'Blog For Choice Day' (The same day George Bush declared National Sanctity of Life Day') then check out feministing.com which has a good list of stuff that was blogged.
Anyway, those of you who know me know that I am pro-choice and Australians are (generally) lucky enough to have access to safe, legal abortions. Although - here in WA, out legislation gives instances in which abortion is not illegal, so it isn't exactly a right (although perhaps 'rights' langauge in the USA is what makes the issue so provocative).
BUT I think that the following should be considered by anyone who would regard themself as pro-choice
- The government's recent plan to mark women's medical records if they have consulted doctors about having an abortion. The tags would be visible to reception staff and others handling the files. This is the case even if the woman doesn't actually have an abortion.
- Tony Abbott wants to introduce a Medicare number that would be specific to 'abortions by choice' - it seems like shame lablelling to me.
- The Government set up a pre-preganancy counselling service with pro-life agencies not exactly known for their ability to provide balanced information on the subject - the Catholic Church anyone? Hardly the non-judgemental sort of counselling women seek when faced with a difficult decision.
- Our Health Minister and Prime Minister are not exactly pro-choice and have continued to errode the adeqaute and balanced provision of abortion services.
I am pro-choice because I think that women are more than capable of making choice for themselves. Making abortion illegal doesn't prevent abortion. It just means that women are forced to undergo backyard abortions that neither safe nor sterile. When abortion in Australia was illegal, it was one of the leading causes of maternal death.
To my mind the abortion debate is tied up with a lot of other feminist issues - a woman's right to decide what to do with her own body and female sexuality among them. I also think that a country's willingness to allow safe access to abortions speaks volumes about their view on the role of women in general. I am also pro-choice for many of these reasons: http://www.feministe.us/blog/archives/2007/01/22/why-im-pro-choice/ as well.
Abortion in Australia is not the big issue that it is in the USA, and for that I think we are lucky. There are a lot of things to be glad of in the Australian approach to abortion and the provision of abortion services. I also think it's great that we our school's sex education is jst that - education about sex, not just abstinence.
However, I think it is also necessary to reflect on the fact that this is not a battle won. The RU486 debate earlier this year shows that we're still fighting.
One last thing... I always think... If you don't believe in abortion, don't have one. There are other options. I respect your decision. That is your choice.
Peace folks.
posted by Book Club Revisited, Revisited @ 10:12 am
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