The legal situation for women deciding about their own bodies has been always been challenging, ambivalent and mostly determined by others – especially by men. When it comes to unwanted pregnancies, women must go through protracted processes – often associated with shame, guilt and high costs – in order to have an abortion. Looking at the contemporary legal situation and the rights a woman has over her uterus, we should be shocked to see that outdated laws are still being adhered to.
Fortunately, in the past and today, there are feminists all over the world who oppose these laws and demand free and safe abortions. At GWL, you can retrace some feminist fights and stories regarding this fundamental right by browsing through their handling kits that are a part of the archive and accessible to all. From protest posters and articles to real accounts from women talking about their experiences of abortion, you’ll find lots of empowering material on the subject. Besides that, the archive also offers a huge selection of material, articles and even poetry from women and feminist organisations speaking up and taking action through different methods of addressing the struggle.
What initially piqued my interest were the various materials from past protests. After viewing them, I dove deeper down the rabbit hole of feminists striking back and resisting laws created and upheld by those who don’t even have a uterus. Although abortion isn’t fully legalized yet, women have fought for their rights and turned the coat hanger from a desperate method of abortion into a symbol of resistance.
GWL really is a safe space for women as well as a place of education. It’s important to have a place like this which covers sensitive topics without judgement. Abortion is a sensitive topic that affects many women, yet nobody talks about it. It’s getting tabooed by society and conservative forces, although it’s happening everywhere around the world. In Scotland alone, more than 18.000 people with uterus undertook an abortion at termination services in 2023. Still, they have to meet certain criteria to be able to get a legal abortion done. It’s finally time to end the stigma and to make abortion more accessible for everyone. Every person that decides to terminate their pregnancy has a valid reason – whatever that reason might be.
What was fascinating to me were real stories of abortions written by real women. You can find these in one of the handling kits at GWL, free and accessible to all – just ask a member of staff to make an appointment. The little booklet is a way for women to write down, process and share their experience with abortion. It is empowering for other women who are experiencing an unwanted pregnancy, as they can see that every reason is a valid reason to terminate a pregnancy. Writing down your thoughts and feelings and sharing them with like-minded people can help.
When looking at material from the archive, I stumbled across “Bad Poetry For Pro-Lifers”, a little zine with some poems. The zine was created by Dr. Charlotte Cooper who was frustrated by pro-life protests in front of an abortion clinic in October 2013. When she realized that confrontation would only be a waste of time, she coped with their presence by writing ‘bad’ poetry. This is a peaceful way of channelling frustration that hurts no one and can still inspire people. Writing, reading, exchanging stories, getting in contact – those are easy yet effective ways of handling harassment and pro-life voices. I also took a look at the Edinburgh Women’s Aid newsletter, the Broken Rib, from 1979 which reported on various feminist events that women could attend for free and featured articles on topics such as contraception written by women sharing their experiences – definitely worth having a look at!
Unfortunately, we still have to deal with overbearing and anti-feminist pro-life voices. In Muenster, the city I live in in Germany, we frequently have so called “A thousand crosses marches”, which are pro-life marches. In Muenster, more people (over 500!) attend the counter-protests. We should consider that a win for feminist community. Unfortunately, these marches also happen in other cities. I only recently discovered that they started with “500 crosses for life” marches in London last year. However, this should only motivate us to make our voices louder and more fierce. In the end, we should focus on the possibilities to enhance women’s access to healthcare and physical self-determination as well as on the amazing things pro-choice activists have already archived. Feminists all over the world have and will continue to strike back. So, if you have the possibility, see if you can support any organisation that fights for women’s rights, go to pro-choice protests, talk about your experience with someone you trust or be there for others if they need someone to talk to. Power to the people, not the patriarchy.
Remember that there’s always help out there, even when you feel alone. When you’re in need of help or advice, you can turn to Scottish Women’s Aid, they can either help you or give you the contacts you need and they have a 24/7 helpline. Don’t hesitate to reach out.
