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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Volume 37, Number 9. 1st May 1974

Tribunal will indict govt

Tribunal will indict govt

While Pip Desmond was arguing the merits of enforced motherhood from the comfortable Varsity Library. WONAAC (Women's National Abortion Action Campaign) was planning a national action day around the abortion issue. The purpose of the day. April 24, was to remind the public that the campaign to repeal the laws on abortion is very much alive and is continuing to exert pressure on the government by rousing public opinion in all ways possible

In Wellington the campaign resourcefully organised two different attractions in previously untested areas. The Brian Edwards' talk-back programme on Radio Windy and a "Speak-Out" in Cuba Mall. Both were highly successful in different respects. The public response to the talk-back programme was amazing. A majority of the calls were sympathetic or inquiring and of all the callers who had experienced abortions all were glad to have made the decision but wished the procedure had been carried out earlier in the pregnancy.

The most distressing call came from a woman brought up in a Catholic orphanage where no instruction on sex education was given at all. She explained how she had her first pregnancy brought to term and the child adopted out alter three months and her second pregnancy terminated by an illegal abortionist. The latter experience proved disastrous to her menial condition and she was now completed terrified of her life ending and burning in Hell. In response to this call the immediate need for a realistic sex education programme was stressed. This woman was obviously a victim of ignorance through no fault of her own.

A twenty-year-old mother of two phoned to say she wanted no further additions to her family but sterilisation was impossible to arrange because of her age. Two grandmothers phoned in their support for the WONAAC campaign and to set the record straight that the campaign wasn't entirely made up of young women.

During the three hour session the four lines were constantly full despite the opinion: of some that abortion was no longer a controversial issue. As a result we hope more women will cease to feel condemned by moralistic sections of our society and feel confident in their own decision to terminate an unwanted pregnancy if they wish.

Immediately after the morning radio show WONAAC supporters and members of the University Feminists end Women's Workshop gathered it Cuba Mall to support the informal "Speak-Out". The prevailing weather conditions did not encourage shoppers to linger round the stage for very long but the Information Booth in the Cubacade was well patronised by financial supporters and shoppers interested in our arguments for abortion law repeal.

Helen Smith, Porirua City Councillor and Phil Bunkle, History Lecturer were among the invited speakers to contribute their views, Dr Wall. MP and the President of SPUC, Dr Diana Mason declined their invitations, the latter exclaiming that the conditions were quite unsuitable. In fact the challenge issued to the opposition forces was ignored. Not one person was prepared to enter a public debate against repeal. This is surely a promising sign for the campaign

One of the main points made at the "Speak-Out" was the desirability of a society where every woman is free to follow her own conscience on the matter. Just as the Catholic women's conscience is guided to decide to continue a pregnancy so must women from all other sectors of society be free to decide on the basis of their conscience. State control of reproduction is inhumane. Further points were made on the inhumanity of expecting rape victims to continue an obviously undesirable pregnancy, the parallel was drawn to early suffragist struggles for which the cause was eventually won and emphasis was placed on taking the decision on matters concerning our reproductive lives out of the hands of the medical profession. Self-help clinics in the States were described.

Anyone within the Cuba Mall area at lunchtime would have left feeling impressed at the courage of the women who spoke so defiantly against the status quo. If they were not impressed they could only have been disgusted at their own lack of courage to oppose the issues under fire.

The next event being organised by WONAAC is a public tribunal on June 15. This will involve women giving testimony on the basis of their experiences against the contraceptive laws, abortion laws, the medical profession's code regarding sterilisation and the consequences of no compulsory sex education programme in schools. As a dramatic finish the Tribunal will indict the government and recommend the repeal of the abortion laws, free, freely available contraceptives, voluntary sterilisation and sex education courses in schools. This Tribunal will be followed by a conference day on the 16th where further campaign details will be discussed. More information on this later.

—Jacqueline McCluggage (Co-ordinator Wellington WONAAC)