Abortion is still the issue

[BobKKKindle$]

[FONT=Georgia, serif]Abortion is still the issue[/FONT]

Abortion should be available for free, as part of a universal health service, at all stages of pregnancy. Opponents of abortion claim that it's important to recognize and protect the rights of fetuses by restricting abortion to women who have been raped, or would face medical risks if they continued the pregnancy to term. This shows a failure to understand the ethical issues at stake, and the material consequences of banning abortion. No organism, regardless of it's capacity to feel pain or respond to external stimuli, has the right to use a woman's body without her express consent, especially when this use results in the imposition of harm, as in the case of pregnancy, and so it is essential that women should be able to control their own bodies, free from the obstruction of the state or any other institution, at every stage of pregnancy. When women cannot control their fertility they cannot plan their lives, freely enjoy sexual relationships, or be free to take part in work and society on an equal basis with men. The needs and circumstances of individual women remain the central issue in the abortion debate. If women are not able to access abortion legally, they will be forced to undergo illegal abortions, which are often performed in unsanitary conditions by individuals who do not possess the required qualifications or experience to perform the operation, putting womens' lives at risk. In the United Kingdom, prior to the 1967 Abortion Act which made free and safe abortions available to women, around 35,000 women were hospitalized every year as a result of “backstreet” or self-induced abortions.

In all areas of womens rights, the extent and form of oppression that women experience is determined by their class position; and women from working-class communities are especially hurt by abortion restrictions. Rich women who find they need to terminate pregnancy can access abortion through private clinics or travel to other countries where abortion is freely available – these options are simply not viable for working-class women.

Some of those who otherwise support the pro-choice position argue that abortion should only be allowed in the early stages of pregnancy, as, once the fetus has reached a specified level of development, it should be accorded the rights we normally associate with adult human beings. However, women who demand abortion during the third trimester are a vulnerable group, and so it is important that we recognize their right to abortion; such women generally require abortion because they have discovered that childbirth would pose a medical risk, because they were not previously willing to admit that they had become pregnant, or because of unfortunate events such as the loss of a partner. This group accounts for less than 5 percent of all abortions, but attacks on late abortions establish a precedent for future limits which threaten the right to choose.

Despite the advances that have been made, women trying to access abortion continue to face obstructions. In the United States, far-right protectors often choose to surround the entrances to abortion clinics in an effort to make women feel guilty and reconsider their decision, and women entering face abuse in the form of verbal insults and physical confrontation. Doctors offering abortion continue to face threats of violence from religious militants. Even in the United Kingdom, a progressive country in comparison to the religious extremism of the United States, women seeking abortion must persuade two doctors to agree to her decision due to restrictive legal criteria. This allows doctors to delay or inhibit womens requests. Even when doctors agree, women often face delays due to poor low levels of funding and further restrictions which prevent qualified nurses and midwives from performing abortions.

Across the world, the right to choose is under attack, by conservatives, who have no concern for the welfare of women, and want to force women to return to the backstreet. The House of Commons is currently debating the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill, which, if passed, will reduce the limit for legal abortion from 24 to 20 weeks. The United States Government continues to deny funding to groups which offer or promote abortion in developing countries.

Feminists and Socialists must stand up and show that we are not willing to let these bigots destroy our past achievements. We fight for a world in which every women is able to access abortion and proudly raise the slogan – Not the Church, Nor the State, Women must decide their fate!

[TC]

Really excellent and concise article.

The SWP seems to have done a lot of good pro-choice work since splitting with the social reactionary Galloway and his wing of RESPECT; I'm not sure if this is to spite them or because they felt inhibited from doing it while they were affiliated to Galloway's camp, but either way its quite good since the SWP took a comparatively soft line on social issues earlier (apart from its obsession with islamophobia).

[Sentinel]

Discussion on late term abortions split into Opposing Ideologies, the proper forum to dispute abortion rights. Link