Abortion Rights

Scottish TUC women’s conference supports Abortion Rights

On 18th November the Scottish TUC voted unanimously to support Abortion Rights for the coming year.
Read more

campaigning showed scale of support for choice - women deserved decision on a better abortion law

The defeat in May 2008 of attempts to begin restricting rights by lowering the abortion time limit was a huge victory for women, the pro-choice movement and Abortion Rights. Abortion Rights also this year led the most high profile campaign to extend rights since the passing of the 1967 Abortion Act. Yet, on Wednesday 22nd October MPs were not given the opportunity to debate and vote on amendments that had been tabled for the Report stage of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill to improve the abortion law for women. We share the frustration and disappointment of women across the country at this, which was strongly objected to by Abortion Rights, sexual health organisations, the TUC, many MPs and others. Abortion Rights believes that women deserved a decision in support of improving the abortion law.

please join Abortion Rights

Abortion Rights is a grassroots membership-based democratic campaign without any government or church funding. We need your financial support in order to provide a bulwark between women and those who repeatedly attack their fundamental reproductive rights to be an effective champion of improved rights.

The intensive campaigning over the past year in defeating a serious attack on the abortion time limit and raising to the top of the political agenda the need for an advance in women's abortion rights has outstripped our usual spending. If you haven’t already, please join as an individual member or affiliate your organisation, student group or trade union branch.

time limit vote – decisive win for women - thank you

On Tuesday 20th May, MPs voted to defend the 24 week abortion time limit. This vote is a decisive win for women and the pro-choice movement. The key votes were to reduce the time to 22 weeks (defeated 304 votes to 233) and 20 weeks (defeated 332 votes to 190). Despite a sensationalist and misleading campaign by the anti-abortion lobby, women’s voices, the wealth of medical evidence and the majority of the population have been listened to.

How MPs voted on 22 weeks