Abortion campaign calls labour movement conference ONCE again we may be forced to defend the 1967 Abortion Act.
Timothy Sainsbury, Tory MP for Hove, who came top in the private members' ballot, has suggested that he may introduce a bill to lower abor; tion time limits and to tighten the conscience clause.
How much longer will we have to defend what is itself an restricts a woman's right to choose?
The National Abortion Campaign (NAC) has always fought for free abortion on demand and for a woman's right to choose. these principles will never be achieved if we are forever fighting new anti-abortion legislation:
That's why this year's NAC conference launched a campaign for positive legislation. aimed at winning the labour movement to support a woman's right to choose. TUC's call for the 28. demonstration against the Corrie Bill was the high point of the broad labour movement support for NAC's anti-Corrie campaign.
The defeat of Corrie represented a major victory for the pro-abortion movement and NAC's strategy of fighting for support from the labour movement. It aided the fight for other feminist issues within the labour movement.
The National Abortion Campaign helped to set up the Labour Abortion Rights Campaign (LARC). In 1978 NAC and LARC held a successful joint trade union conference relegates them to insignificant bodies out of the mainstream of decision-making. That's the argument made unionists.
My own union, the create ans Vomen's TUC in 1976 and June argued that we're all equal in all LULCO the trade union The facts don't bear this out. There are no women on the POEU executive and only 6 out of 49 on the NUT's exccuuve. Inere Is very nitie DovIsIon lo lakc to Issuci inadequate Act which . But The 'The Women's TUC ghettoises women and by • Fitaly: trade has also resulted in the TUC drawing working women's charter and more recent Charter TOT Equality in the unions: One on or shes special . UH The Women's TUC has campaigned for these pecial measures as well fighting for the TUC to de Ten aborton monts. year recommended positive action women The 1UC which helped spur the TUC into taking up the issue. NAC and LARC have a joint trade union liaison committee fighting for labour movement action on abortion rights.
LARC have drawn up a three point plan for abortion legislation. Firstly they aim to build a campaign for adequate facilities, making their provision mandatory Secondly they want a bill to decriminalise EN D abortion legislation.
law. abortion by amending the Offences Against the Person Act and the Infant Life Preserva tion Act. Finally they seek the introduction of a woman's right to choose Bill to give positive rights to women and to repeal all existing It will not be a Tory government that will introduce positive legislation. It is therefore essential to commit the Labour Party to incluWomen throughout the country are fighting back against violence against women but every 'ACTSO! unne stree. woo lonored. mv an duction, Their reaction was public's atitude to attacks on wome barucular fune seems to know the men involved.
In all the massive press coverage of the Ripper case • Teministe have responded with a call for a curfew on the men al c potential rapists.
Dull murvlaudi men are a curse women not opat longe prison sentences for Jabislo perhaps the penalty. These remiss say away such demands because thes know that the government, courts and police are not im. partial.
tion rights.
Grays Inn Ra, London WeL.
Women fight back Margate Kill.
residence won the right to free alarm/ torches.
York transport: home after as free torch/alarms.
tion on women and violence.
Violence The ecueation system, newspapers and the lar the land all incite men to WHAT DOES HE KNOW ABOUT ABORTION?
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The Women's TUC - a useless diversion or an aid in the fight for women's liberation? By Denny Fitzpatrick