Their calls came as Upper House Labor MP, Candy Broad, announced her intentions to remove abortion from the Crimes Act.
“A woman’s right to choose the spacing and timing of her family has been internationally recognised as a human right since the 1960s – yet in Victoria, abortion is still considered a crime,” said Suzanne Dvorak, Australian CEO of Marie Stopes International.
“The retention of abortion in the state criminal code stigmatises aborting women and couples, reducing their access to accurate information and their willingness to seek timely support.
“In 2002, abortion was repealed from the Crimes Act in the ACT and it is time Victoria and the rest of Australia follows.”
The Australian Survey of Social Attitudes 2003, conducted by the Centre for Social Research at the ANU, found that over 80% of Australians agree with a women’s right to choose an abortion.
A recent study[1] commissioned by Marie Stopes International and conducted by WebSurvey also found that 90% of the 1000 women surveyed believed women should be able to obtain an abortion in all or some circumstances.
A 2004 study looking at the views of 2,500 GPs - General Practitioners: Attitudes to Abortion[2] also found that 84% of GPs support access to abortion services for all women.
“These statistics show that there is overwhelming support in the community for a woman’s right to choose abortion,” Ms Dvorak says.
“It is therefore vital that our politicians represent the beliefs of the overwhelming majority of their constituents and remove the risk of prosecution against women seeking an abortion and their doctors.
“We congratulate Candy Broad on her stance and urge all MPs to work together to decriminalise abortion in Victoria.”
Marie Stopes International is a not-for-profit sexual and reproductive healthcare provider, with centres in Victoria, the ACT, Queensland, New South Wales and Western Australia. The organisation offers a range of services, including abortion, vasectomy, sexually transmitted infection check-ups and contraception. Surplus proceeds from Australian activities support the work of Marie Stopes International Partnerships, which delivers sexual and reproductive health services to more than four million people in over 37 countries.
For media enquiries contact: Samantha Smith, Public Relations 0421 097 150
[1] What women want when faced with an unplanned pregnancy, Marie Stopes International/ WebSurvey, Nov 2006
[2] Commissioned by Marie Stopes International and conducted by Quantum Market Research. The findings were based on surveys completed by 2,500 GPs nationally in July 2004.
