By Robyn Marshall and Stella Riethmuller
BRISBANE — About 300 women attended a rally in King George Square to celebrate National Abortion Rights Day, Sunday August 8. Abortion remains in the criminal code in every state in Australia, yet at least one in three Australian women will have an abortion in their lifetime. Many people don't know that abortion is still illegal.
A speaker from the Family Planning Association said an extensive education program was needed in primary, secondary and tertiary schools, and among doctors, teachers and librarians. Obstetrician Adrienne Freedman told the rally that the current state government review of legislation affecting women presents a unique opportunity to reform the legal code.
Coral Wynter, an activist in Brisbane's International Women's Day committee, said women must have the choice to terminate a pregnancy or they will have no control over their careers, their education, their financial situation or their future.
"If abortion is not legal, it will take place in back yards, with the attendant disastrous outcomes for women's health and lives", Wynter said.
She pointed at the men from the right-wing anti-choice organisation Right to Life who were picketing the rally holding photos of foetuses. "These men think they have the right to tell us what to do with our bodies. They are not going to!"
Darleen from the Reclaim the Night committee said that abortion is still a very important issue for all women: one in four women is raped at some time in their life.
Karen Fletcher, a solicitor from Prisoners Legal Aid, said that women in prison have all choices taken away from them. "Women inside would have liked to be at the rally today and strongly support our fight for decriminalisation of abortion", she said.
Jim Soorley, the mayor of Brisbane, came out of his office to tell the Right to Life picketers to leave the rally, which had been organised by Children by Choice. If they refused, he said, he would call the police.
Natasa Cordasic from Children by Choice said she was pleased with the support, which reflects the results of the state-wide survey in May that 85% of women and men agree that abortion should be a personal decision between a woman and her doctor, not a political decision by men in suits.