On International Women鈥檚 Day, March 8, 57 countries signed on to a United Nations鈥 statement calling for universal sexual and reproductive healthcare, including access to safe abortions, and comprehensive sexuality education.
Australia was not one of the signatories.
News that NSW MLC Fred Nile is using the last sitting weeks of state parliament before the March 2019 election to push his 鈥淶oe鈥檚 law鈥 bill 鈥 which would give foetuses legal rights 鈥 is galvanising those supporting choice.
In a major victory for women's rights, Queensland's parliament voted to decriminalise abortion on October 16.
91自拍论坛 Weekly welcomes the historic vote to decriminalise abortion in Queensland and pledges to redouble its efforts to win free, safe and legal abortion across the country.
One thousand people braved miserable weather to take part in the in decades. The rally was timed to occur聽in the week leading up to an historic parliamentary vote that could bring in much needed abortion law reform in Queensland.
Queensland parliament will finally start debating whether to make abortion legal on October 16.
A parliamentary vote to remove abortion from Queensland鈥檚 Criminal Code and treat it as a health issue could happen on October 16.
The Tasmanian Liberal government might have hoped that by announcing on July 2 that it had secured an abortion provider whose services are due to open in October, the 鈥渁bortion issue鈥 might have gone away.
It is a vain hope.
Cricket Australia's decision to sack Angela Williamson on June 29 because of her tweets campaigning for abortion access in Tasmania, and her subsequent decision to go public and appeal to the Fair Work Commission, has reignited the issue.
Three women were stabbed during a march to demand free, safe and legal abortions by a group of hooded people who assaulted protesters in Chile鈥檚 capital, Santiago.
About 40,000 women attended the march on July 25, carrying signs that read 鈥渢he rich pay for it, the poor bleed out鈥 and 鈥渨omen marching until we are free.鈥 The march was in support of an abortion bill introduced to Congress that day by legislator Guido Girardi, from the opposition聽Party for Democracy.
The abortion debate is continuing聽in Argentina with聽senate commissions rejecting聽modifications to the original bill that聽would have made abortions more difficult to obtain.
Conservative modifications were made to the and voted on August 1 in the three commissions (health, justice and constitutional affairs) currently debating its contents聽before the bill heads to the full Senate on August 8.
Activists can see the light at the end of this very long tunnel, and are pushing for the Queensland parliament to vote to legalise abortion rights.
Melbourne鈥檚 Royal Women鈥檚 Hospital (RWH) has decided to halve its funding for the Pregnancy Advisory Service (PAS), a vital Melbourne service.
This decision is particularly baffling in the light of the health minister鈥檚 commitment to fund a state-wide service which, by all accounts, would have gone to the RWH. Tragically, the RWH has backed away and instead decided to reduce the service.
The funding was picked up by Women鈥檚 Health Victoria to develop 1800 My Options, an online, state-wide phone service providing information on sexual and reproductive health service.