Abortion Act Anniversary

Lindsey
By Lindsey Last edited 197 months ago
Abortion Act Anniversary
abortion.jpg

The fortieth anniversary of the Abortion Act this week meant that the abortion debate has been all over the news, culminating in demonstrations in Westminster this weekend.

In a dramatic gesture, pro-lifers projected the statistic of 6.7 million aborted foetuses since 1967 onto the Houses of Parliament last night as part of the Alive and Kicking campaign to "make abortion rare" by reducing the upper time limit and prohibiting abortion "for social convenience". Today, activists walked to Westminster Cathedral for a service "commemorating" the legal abortions performed in the UK to date.

While the pro-lifers were touting the aborted "death toll" on London's streets, Marie Stopes quietly hosted a conference on Global Safe Abortion at the QEII centre earlier in the week reminding us that the legalisation of abortion was about women's health and survival as well as her right to choice. They highlighted the plight of women in the developing world who are unable to access legal or safe abortion, resulting in over 66,000 needless deaths each year and millions of severe injuries.

Stats, though. Not the most reliable things to underpin hugely emotive debates.

Image courtesy of willem velthoven's Flickrstream.

Last Updated 27 October 2007