Rally for a woman's right to choose
By Ruth Ratcliffe
BRISBANE — A rally here on July 8 protested against the de-funding of Children by Choice, a counselling and referral service, and Queensland health minister Mike Horan's threats to restrict access to abortion.
The rally was held on the second day of the Network of Women Students of Australia conference, and a large proportion of the 300-strong crowd were conference attendees.
Angry, vocal women marched from Queensland University of Technology, where the conference was held, to King George Square.
The crowd chanted "Our bodies, our lives, our right to decide" and "Back to the backyard? — No way!" as they marched. At King George Square, they were greeted by other supporters of a woman's right to choose.
Speakers from a range of political and community groups, including the NOWSA collective, Doctors Reform Society, Brisbane Rape and Incest Crisis Centre, Resistance and UQ Women's Collective, described the myriad of political, social and medical reasons why women should be free to choose.
The crowd then marched to Parliament House to picket a Right to Life dinner. Outside the building, the crowd held a noisy and militant speak-out.
Wendy Edmond, the shadow health minister and previous cabinet member under Wayne Goss, addressed the crowd. However, the crowd was well aware that the ALP had also denied women their right to legal abortion, and throughout her very short speech Edmond was constantly heckled.
Democratic Socialist Party member Karen Fletcher inspired the crowd by telling them, "Through a large, vibrant movement we can defeat the government's attacks on women's rights and eventually win free, safe abortion on demand".
The NOWSA conference resolved to continue to support the campaign to win back Children by Choice's funding and to campaign for free, safe, legal abortion on demand.