The Women鈥檚 Abortion Action Campaign聽(WAAC)聽was launched in 1972 when abortion was illegal under the聽New South Wales Crimes Act 1900.聽Three notorious provisions made it illegal for anyone, including the woman,聽to procure an 鈥渋llegal鈥 abortion, with sentences of up to 10 years imprisonment.
People were routinely jailed for performing abortions in the early 20th聽century. Such cases usually came to light because a woman would die 鈥 often horribly 鈥 after seeking an abortion.
Often, medically untrained 鈥渂ackyard abortionists鈥 tried to avoid detection by relocating frequently, often to unhygienic places and using makeshift items, such as knitting needles, instead of medical聽instruments.
Perforated uterus, haemorrhage and septicaemia claimed the lives of many victims of the backyard abortionists.
For those who could afford it, some qualified doctors performed illegal abortions. But, as the risk to the doctor was great, so was the cost. Few could afford it.
For some lucky women, a medical condition would be claimed, the abortion called a 鈥淒&C鈥 (dilation and curettage)and the procedure done in a hospital.
Abortions were expensive: in 1920, a backyard abortionist in Sydney charged up to 拢10聽(the average weekly wage was 拢4), not just because of risk but because abortionists were also victims of widespread police corruption, which reached to the highest levels.
Doctors who performed abortions聽paid cops to prevent loss of licence and reputation, backyard abortionists to avoid prison.
Change was in the air by the 1970s. Corruption and women鈥檚 deaths disgusted聽the public and聽brought a new awareness about the need for change.
A legal case in Victoria in 1969 鈥 the Menhennitt Ruling 鈥斅爀stablished in law that abortion could be 鈥渘ecessary鈥 and 鈥減roportionate鈥.
NSW Justice Aaron Levine ruled in 1971聽that abortion was legal under certain circumstances, extending reproductive rights a little more.
WAAC is formed
A group of women at the University of Sydney called a meeting in 1972 to form a group to push for favourable change to abortion and reproductive rights.
From the beginning, the Women's Abortion Action Campaign (WAAC)聽wanted abortion to be repealed from the 1900聽Crimes Act. The activists also wanted free, safe contraception and an end to the disgraceful practice of forced sterilisation.
As well as students, many working women (both in the home and outside)聽attended this and subsequent meetings. They decided on five basic demands:聽Abortion is a woman鈥檚 right to choose; Repeal of all abortion laws; Free, safe abortion on demand; Free, safe contraception on demand; and No forced聽sterilisation.
Despite the many changes in law over 50 years, they remain as relevant today as they did 50 years ago.
WAAC organised many demonstrations over the next 10 years and became part of the lively activism at Sydney鈥檚 Women鈥檚 Liberation House.
WAAC published the聽Right to Choose聽newsletter in hard copy format until the early 2000s and in email form for a few聽years longer. It always worked聽with like-minded organisations and individuals, including politicians, to keep the fight for abortion rights visible.
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Protests important
The early years of street marches and demonstrations set a pattern. WAAC took part in International Women鈥檚 Day and Reclaim the Night protests,聽the Sydney Women鈥檚 Marches, it protested聽the NSW聽Foetal Personhood Bill聽and opposed 40 Days For Life groups, which harassed clinic staff and patients.
WAAC鈥檚聽Herstory聽Week event聽in 2005聽showcased its ongoing work. It聽hosted the Sydney launch of聽Lost, a book about Victorian abortion rights campaigner Dr Bertram Wainer鈥檚 work.
Free movie nights were organised to show the brilliant films聽After Tiller, about abortion provision in the United States after Dr George Tiller鈥檚 assassination聽and, partnering with the Socialist Alliance聽to show Vessel,聽about the ship which travels the world providing abortions where they are illegal or inaccessible.
WAAC wrote lots of submissions, including for聽Senator Natasha Stott-Despoja鈥檚 bill to demand truth in advertising for fake 鈥減regnancy counselling鈥 telephone services and Victoria鈥檚 2007 abortion decriminalisation bill.
Over the decades, its members wrote to every member of both houses of parliament in each state, as well as to federal MPs.
Two separate bills trying to put foetal rights into law in NSW prompted WAAC to march again, as well as write articles, do radio interviews and organise rallies.
Solidarity shown
WAAC members travelled to Cairns聽in 2010聽to聽support聽a couple charged with聽abortion-related crimes, and organised a solidarity rally in Sydney.
WAAC has worked with politicians seeking to protect and improve reproductive rights in NSW, including Penny Sharpe,聽Dr Arthur Chesterfield-Evans, Dr Meredith Burgmann and Dr Mehreen Faruqi.
It attended a round table with Labor聽MP聽Sophie Cotsis and, on several occasions聽across the decades, worked with a coalition of other organisations to push for abortion to be removed from the聽Crimes Act.
WAAC received a scholarship from US women鈥檚 rights organisation NOW in the mid-1990s which it used to publish an index to聽Right To Choose.聽Working with Catholics for Choice and other faith-based organisations, WAAC has also published pamphlets about the views of abortion from various religions.
WAAC has held workshops and stalls at the student-based Network of Women Students Australia and The F Conference and has been privileged to be invited to speak with groups such as The Sydney Feminists and聽Colectivo Mujero.
WAAC continues to work with the Philippines-based Women鈥檚 Safe Abortion Campaign to support the International Day for Women鈥檚 Health and International Safe Abortion Day.
WAAC was honoured to host the late Justice David Levine AO QC on the 40th聽anniversary of the Levine Ruling聽in 2011, where聽he spoke of his father鈥檚 famous decision and its aftermath. Other speakers included Dr Caroline Costa,聽former MLC聽 Burgmann and women鈥檚 health advocate Samantha Campbell.
It organised tributes to Steve Rogers, the security guard killed at聽the East Melbourne Fertility Clinic聽in July 2001 by a violent聽anti-abortion fanatic.
Working with Radical Women (Melbourne), Pro-Choice Collective (Queensland) and South Australian activists, WAAC ran a three-day national abortion rights conference in Sydney聽in 2010, at which historian Dr Kate Gleeson and others spoke.
Along with other activists WAAC stayed up into the early hours in 2019 to witness the NSW Parliament overwhelmingly decide to remove abortion from the聽Crimes Act.
WAAC recently supported Newcastle activist Larissa Field鈥檚 protest at the closing of the city鈥檚 largest abortion clinic and helped host an online information session where representatives of MSI Australia, Family Planning NSW and Rural Doctors spoke.
Struggle continues
The pandemic led WAAC to focus on producing a website with information on the struggle and to honour those who made contributions.
WAAC has also begun to review its vast trove of documents, memorabilia and photographs. A plan for archiving and digitisation has been formulated and a professional archivist employed to sort and catalogue. Next,聽funds need to be raised聽to digitise the documents, photographs, newsletters and WAAC鈥檚 historic banners.
New opportunities for online action mean that WAAC members will not聽have聽to make long train trips in the early hours to stand outside clinics holding banners any more. But聽we will ensure our resources are freely available for all and provide support as needed.
Times change, but WAAC has never forgotten the work of generations of grassroots activists that聽led to today鈥檚 successes.
WAAC is proud to pass the baton to younger activists who have already achieved so much. We are confident that our five bold but realistic demands from 1972 are a sound roadmap.
[Christine Smith a reproductive rights activist. Women鈥檚 Abortion Action Campaign will celebrate 50 years of activism on September 3 with Penny Sharpe MLC, long-time WAAC activist Margaret Kirkby and Newcastle activist Larissa Scully.聽There will be zoom links set up.聽More information can be found聽.]
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