ARC: The Mass Protest Approach

Interview with Geraldine [unclear: Whiteford] from Abortion Rights Campaign (ARC)

Interviewed by Mary Barber

What are the aims of your organisation?

To organise a wide range of activites, which I can divide up roughly into three sections: (i) To educate people about the whole abortion issue. Particularly on the needs and aspirations of New Zealand women, (ii) Organise effective mass public protest, (iii) Supporting freedom of choice by all women.

How do you intend to carry out your aims?

Organise on an extremely large scale-involving large numbers of people-mass public meetings, where people can come and debate issues concerning abortion, and where they can become involved in the decisions. We have a committee set up to co-ordinate activites, initiate activities, and to contact people for leafletting.

One of our main policies is that we believe the most effective way of achieving our goal is the co-ordinated activites of both men and women, working together.

"The new laws on abortion intend to push women back into the home."

We want to promote the idea that abortion is a Woman's Democratic Right!

There seem to be a multitude of organisations against these abortion laws. In what ways is your organisation different from the others?

I think we are different in our main policy and slogan ie. that abortion is a democratic right, and that every woman should have the right to choose. Also, our style of organising is unique - large public meetings - the first one held on April 22 attracted approximately 100 people, many of whom had never been involved in the abortion issue before.

A lot of organisations limit the types of activites they do, some might concentrate mainly on lobbying MP's, petitions, others on education, protests etc.. are is intending to combine all these activites, to ensure this campaign is successful.

Why do you wish men to become active in your campaign? Wasn't it men who passed the anti-abortion legislation in the first place?

We wish men to become involved firstly, because many men are as strongly opposed to the new laws as some women are, and their support is necessary in a mass united body. Secondly, the issue not only affects women, but it puts a strain on the whole family. If an unwanted pregnancy occurs, there could be the expense of a trip to Australia, the personal mental strain of a woman trying to get an abortion legally in New Zealand, or the heavy burden of an unwanted child.

What exactly does "Abortion: A Democratic Right" mean?

In this time of growing unemployment, women are losing their jobs. Many women are unable to find further employment, and end up in the extremely isolated position of housewife and/or mother.

Today there are pitiful childcare facilities available, and those available are usually well beyond the price of a single income family. Most charge about $20 per week per child. We believe the laws on abortion intend to push women back into, the home, so as to keep them more or less politically under control.

Obviously, the new Industrial Relations Act, the SIS Bill, and just recently the display of state power seen at bastion Point, are blatant attempts to keep the working class people of New Zealand down.

Women have the right to work, the right right to cheap childcare facilities, the right to free contraception and finally the right to control her own body. These are all fundamental democratic rights, just as we all take for granted freedom of speech, freedom of conscience.

Your Slogan "Abortion: A Woman's Democratic Right" implies that the decision is purely the woman's. Is this so?

The Abortion Rights Committee has no firm policy on this, but I think they believe that the final decision must rest with the woman. She is the one who must bear the child and unfortunately in our society she usually ends up looking after it.

If a woman is in a permanent relationship one would expect and hope the matter would naturally be discussed with the husband.

"She is the one to bear the child and unfortunately in our society she usually ends up looking after it."

What do you think is the crux of the Abortion issue?

Basically that we feel that abortion is a woman's democratic right, which at the moment is under attack.

I personally believe that it is usually due to contraceptive failures. The Health Department did a survey in 1975, in Lower Hutt, and concluded that ¼ of women using contraceptives became pregnant for the first time while still using contraceptives.

Also there are strong social pressures on young women to become mothers and wives. Virtually from the moment of birth, young girls are brought up and prepared for a life primarily of child-birth and rearing. Some women find themselves pregnant without fully realising the committments entailed in looking after a child.

"I think the majority of people have expressed their preference for more liberal abortion laws."

Why do you think New Zealand has such restrictive abortion laws?

I feel the abortion law is one of a number of attacks by the Government on the civil liberties of New Zealand people. It is my personal view that there is a strong trend towards an increasingly repressive Government. For example take the new Industrial Relations Act. For a group of workers to go on strike, they must first apply to Government for permission. If the Government decides their reasons for going on strike are not good enough, the union can be deregistered.

The SIS Bill, the Domestic Purpose Benefits on solo parents, the harassments of Pacific Islanders, high taxes, and finally the massive display of state power at Bastion Point. All these are occurring in a time of economic crisis, and directly affecting working class people.

What do you think of MP's vote of conscience over the abortion issue?

We feel there should be no interference from the state at all over whether a woman should have an abortion. We feel it is her right to decide, but that there should be a freely available counselling service to help her decide.

Do you think there should be a public referendum?

No. I think the majority of people we have expressed their preference for more liberal abortion laws.

Does your organisation support the recent Repeal petition?

We believe the Repeal petition was a step in the right direction. If you want laws respecting a woman's rights, obviously the first step is to repeal the present laws. I believe the Repeal organisation wanted a return to the status quo. This was not a woman's right to choose, but it was a more liberal law than the present one. That there were over 300,000 signatures indicates that the present law is not at all satisfactory. If the Repeal petition is not successful then we must comtinue our fight, using public pressure and protests, until the Government recognises what the majority of New Zealanders want.

With 1978 being an election year, is your organisation pushing the voter to vote for the candidate who is in favour of repealing the existing abortion laws?

No. We feel it is unrealistic to ask people to vote solely on the abortion issue, because there have been so many other issues during the past three years that people feel strongly about.

How can students become involved in the activites of your organisation?

The best way would be for students to come to the next public meeting. This is to be held on Saturday, 24 June in the YWCA, at 1 pm. There will be reports on activities coming up, and opportunities to become active in the organisation.

Our office is the old Repeal Office in the Dolphin Building, Lambton Quay. P.O. Box 12076, Wellington North. Alternatively they could get in touch with Leonie Morris here on campus.