Domeneque Di Ciacca WO

Obama Proclaims March Women’s History Month!

2009-03-11T02:36:00.000-07:00

The White House released a statement by President Obama proclaiming March Women’s History Month. March was selected as a time to honor American women in 1978, when a Women’s History Week was initiated; the time-period was expanded to a month in 1987. Obama’s proclamation follows:

With passion and courage, women have taught us that when we band together to advocate for our highest ideals, we can advance our common well-being and strengthen the fabric of our Nation. Each year during Women’s History Month, we remember and celebrate women from all walks of life who have shaped this great Nation. This year, in accordance with the theme, “Women Taking the Lead to Save our Planet,” we pay particular tribute to the efforts of women in preserving and protecting the environment for present and future generations.

Ellen Swallow Richards is known to have been the first woman in the United States to be accepted at a scientific school. She graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1873 and went on to become a prominent chemist. In 1887, she conducted a survey of water quality in Massachusetts. This study, the first of its kind in America, led to the Nation’s first state water-quality standards.

Women have also taken the lead throughout our history in preserving our natural environment. In 1900, Maria Sanford led the Minnesota Federation of Women’s Groups in their efforts to protect forestland near the Mississippi River, which eventually became the Chippewa National Forest, the first Congressionally mandated national forest. Marjory Stoneman Douglas dedicated her life to protecting and restoring the Florida Everglades. Her book, The Everglades: Rivers of Grass, published in 1947, led to the preservation of the Everglades as a National Park. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1993.

Rachel Carson brought even greater attention to the environment by exposing the dangers of certain pesticides to the environment and to human health. Her landmark 1962 book, Silent Spring, was fiercely criticized for its unconventional perspective. As early as 1963, however, President Kennedy acknowledged its importance and appointed a panel to investigate the book’s findings. Silent Spring has emerged as a seminal work in environmental studies. Carson was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom posthumously in 1980.

Grace Thorpe, another leading environmental advocate, also connected environmental protection with human well-being by emphasizing the vulnerability of certain populations to environmental hazards. In 1992, she launched a successful campaign to organize Native Americans to oppose the storage of nuclear waste on their reservations, which she said contradicted Native American principles of stewardship of the earth. She also proposed that America invest in alternative energy sources such as hydroelectricity, solar power, and wind power.

These women helped protect our environment and our people while challenging the status quo and breaking social barriers. Their achievements inspired generations of American women and men not only to save our planet, but also to overcome obstacles and pursue their interests and talents. They join a long and proud history of American women leaders, and this month we honor the contributions of all women to our Nation.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, BARACK OBAMA, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim March 2009 as Women’s History Month. I call upon all our citizens to observe this month with appropriate programs, ceremonies, and activities that honor the history, accomplishments, and contributions of American women.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this third day of March, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

BARACK OBAMA
Online Source

Will the UK follow Obama by incorperating Women's History Month? Should we adopt it too? What are your thoughts on this?

Million Women Rise through London

2009-03-10T04:59:00.000-07:00

Some of you may know about the march that took place on Saturday (7th March) in aid of ending male violence towards women and international Women's day.

The march was fun and allowed other groups to meet each other and bond over our similarities. All together the main aspect that I found particularly moving was the massive age range. It ranged from the elderly to babies being carried or pushed in buggys. With shouts, singing, whistles and horns blearing (as well as musicians marching with us) the atmosphere was electric.

Some people didn't get why we were marching so I thought I would put this here for you to read. When it comes to why march the website said this:

Women’s right to live free from violence and / or the fear of violence has not been achieved. Women continue to be attacked and violated in many different ways, in our homes, on our streets, on our public transport, at our places of work. The government, the TV and newspapers do very little to address this issue; instead they often blame women for wearing the wrong clothes or being in the wrong place.If you think this needs to change, then join us on a public demonstration to show those in power that it’s just not good enough! We need to show our mass dissatisfaction; we need to be strong together and in large numbers. Unity is strength; the voices of many are louder together than a single voice.If you want to see change for yourself, your children, your families, your communities then come out and say no to violence against women!

The march started at Portman square and we marched through Oxford st, Regent st and Piccadilly until we got to the rally point at Waterloo place.

The rally began at 2.30pm and finished about 4.30pm- in the rally there were numerous speakers and performances as well as stalls around the main area. It was defintely a day to remember and I think one of the biggest reasons why was the fantastic atmosphere.

Redbrick Interview

2009-02-23T17:02:00.000-08:00

Questions asked by Redbrick reporter Gabrielle John.

1. What is the role of the Birmingham Women's Association and your role as a women's officer?

The role of Birmingham Women's Association or the Women's Network, as we have renamed ourselves, is to be a supportive base for the women of the university. As an association we represent over 15,000 students and we try our best to understand the needs of all those students. We can only do what we are told the women of this university want. For example last year we were made aware that students wanted better toilets in the guild and when it came to designing them, the women's network had a say in that. As women's officer I help support the women's network as well as another women's group in the university, known as B WISTE (Birmingham Women in Technology and Engineering). I also attempt to run my own campaigns. Due to coursework commitments, last term was more successful then this term has been so far, but there are still plans in the works.

2. Why do you feel so passionately about the cause?

This cause is something that is close to my heart. The thing that probably makes me so passionate about this cause is most likely the fact that most people think it is unnecessary. When some women hear the term 'feminism' they think that it is a waste of time because at first glance, women do appear to have equal rights to men. The fact is, when you look deeper, we don't. And its not just about equal pay, its how women are portrayed everyday and in the media. If a man has had many relationships he's someone to be admired, if a woman has had a few relationships she's considered a slut. The double standard is doing well and everyone falls victim to it. The key to feminism is giving women the opportunity to choose what they want to do, be it a high powered job or being housewife and being confident in who you are. That is what I am passionate about.

3. Many people would argue we (in the west) do have relative equality in comparison to less developed countries, what is your argument against this?

Compared to less developed countries women do have more equality when it comes to opportunities. However we do not have the right attitude to feminism and that leaves us lacking. In the UK 1 in 4 women are the victims of domestic violence and our attitude is to sweep it under the rug. I can't remember the last time I saw an advert on tv (or if I ever have), telling people of the reality of domestic violence, either no one wants to address it or I don't watch enough tv. Either way the general attitude of feminism undermines all the progress we have made. In order to help those less developed countries be more equal in terms of women's rights, I truly believe we need to set an example and we can't do that if people continue to have misogynistic attitudes.

4. How do you feel women's rights have progressed over the past century and what do you feel was the catalyst?

I think it has been slow to an extent, but it has been there and that is the most important thing.That, and the fact the battle is still ongoing. There is always someone who is fighting and that gives me faith that we will achieve something great. We may not do it in a year, it might take ten but the point is that people have faith. In terms of the catalyst, I feel that over the years there has been many different instances of activity that have lead to significant change. Women gaining the right to vote or legalising abortion? I believe both of these events are catalysts in their own right because they were the first big steps, in their area, of change for the benefit and welfare of women.

5. What are the main issues facing women in this country today?

I think that the biggest issue facing women in this country today is other women. We are our own worst critics. If you ask a woman whether she's a feminist, some will say no but if you ask that same woman if she believes in equal pay, equal job opportunities or having the right to decide what she does with her body or who she marries then they are going to say yes and all those issues come under feminism. The biggest thing that is stopping women from achieving equality is the attitudes of other (not all) women. Sure there are other big issues today, such as legalising abortion in Ireland, expanding abortion rights (not needed two doctor's signatures etc.) as well as the pay gap. However in my mind, we can't overcome these issues and achieve equality until both men and women embrace the idea of equality.

Are you passionate about womens issues? Do you want to be Women's Officer 2009/10?

2009-02-06T16:08:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in being next years Women's officer, nominations are open now! Below is a lit of relevant dates for the elections and a job description as well as general questions to think about. If you would like to remember to collect a nomination form from guild reception.

DATES:

Officer Q&A Session - Wednesday 4th February @ 6pm, Guild Council Chambers
Nominations Close - Friday 13th February 2009
Campaigning & Voting Opens - Monday 9th March 2009
Campaigning & Voting Closes - Friday 13th March 2009
Announcement of new Guild Officer Team - Saturday 14th March 2009

JOB DESCRIPTION: Womens’ Officer

Even in today’s society women still suffer from sexism and discrimination; issues such as the pay gap, the glass ceiling and domestic abuse are still as relevant today as they were forty years ago. The Women’s Officer works to raise awareness of these issues within the student body and motive female students to get involved in student campaigns to address these issues. They also work with other Guild Officers and Guild services, to ensure that the Guild of Students places the needs and concerns of women at the heart of all its actions. The Women’s Officer is also an active member of the NUS Women’s Campaign and as such works to represent Birmingham students at a national level by working with Women’s Officers from across the country.

Candidates for Womens’ Officer are expected to be women.

For more information email me at wo@guild.bham.ac.uk

Questions:
1. What are the biggest challenges facing female students today?
2. Is feminism relevant to students?
3. If you could only run one campaign; what campaign would that be?

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to email me.

Domeneque
Women's Officer 2008/09

Women's AGM

2008-12-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

First I would like to start off by apolosing, I didn't realise how long it was since my last post! Now for the AGM stuff. The women's network had their AGM (Annual General Meeting) yesterday and have elected three new committee members. However because other positions did not get filled we are going to later hold a EGM (Extraordinary General Meeting) to vote in the rest of the committee. The positions are as follows:

Convenor: Maudie Wyatt
Secretary: RON
Treasurer: RON
Welfare Officer: RON
Campaigns and Publicity Officer: Rachel Tribbick
Guild Councillor x2: RON
NUS Delegate: Hollie Jones
NUS Observer: Maudie Wyatt/Rachel Tribbick/Domeneque Di Ciacca

:)

Jarratt Hall: CANCELLED to be rescheduled.

2008-10-24T16:45:00.000-07:00

Unfortunately due to a mix up this self defence class has had to be cancelled. it will however be will be rescheduled for next term. If you would like more information about your self defence class please contact your RA. :(

B WISTE Launch!!

2008-10-22T13:22:00.000-07:00

For those of you who do not know, B WISTE is a group designed for Women in Technology in the university. B WISTE stands for Birmingham Women In Science, Technology and Engineering. This group was set up by a university staff steering group which included myself and Hollie.

Today B WISTE offically launched. It started at 3:00pm with refreshments and socialising and then at 3:30pm the women were talked to by the group's patron, Dr Helen Stone. After Helen had finished it was my turn to tell them how although this project started out as a staff venture it was designed to be fully student run.

The name B WISTE was something in the early stages we were not sure about so we have given it's members the chance to pick their own name. The person who enters the best name will win £30 worth of book vouchers from waterstones.

We also gave out a free gift of little lip balms with the current name on them. Overall there was a great turnout and it proves to be something to look forward to. :)

Pro-Choice Protest 21/10/08

2008-10-22T09:07:00.000-07:00

It took a lot of effort to, very last minute, get funding for travel to Westminster to attend the pro-choice protest yesterday. It was however done and 5 Birmingham Students were able to go to the protest, sadly others pulled out last minute.

This protest was mainly to back Northern Ireland's campaign to legalise abortion. As it is currently abortion is illegal in Ireland and if a woman is suspected to be traveling to the UK for an abortion her passport will be taken off of her and she will forced to stay in Ireland and have the baby. For victims of rape or incest this is appalling. The only way a woman can get an abortion in Ireland is to be suicidal. So this protest was to show our support.

It did not help, however, when a very pro-life man came behind the barriers and starting tearing up baby books. I happened to be right next to him when this guy started and I can honestly say this guy was very scary. When one of the protesters tried to stop him tearing up the book he angrily pushed her away. I had never been so happy to see the police. I promised Hannah no one would get arrested so I was very happy when the police made him stand seperate to us.

We had two speeches from MPs saying how happy they were that we were there. Here is what one of the MPs said (from abortionrights.org.uk):

Diane Abbott MP, who tabled New Clause 30 to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to Northern Ireland said in the debate:

“I think there is a special case for debating the issues of Northern Ireland today because of course abortion is a criminal justice matter and in time it will be devolved to Northern Ireland. If we do not debate my clause today women in Northern Ireland will lose the right to have abortion - as in Britain - for a generation…The law in Northern Ireland is the same law as in 1861. It seems to me that we have a responsibility as parliament to move women’s rights into the 21st century. . . . . The thousands that travel every year to Britain - and they are the lucky ones - have to pay. How can that be right? You have a situation where poor women at a time of great distress have to find the money to pay to travel and have an abortion. Women cannot have an abortion even if they have been raped, even if they are victims of incest, even if their health at risk. Are we content to have a group of women in Northern Ireland to be second-class citizens?”

If you would like to read the offical news release from AbortionRights please click here.

Pritchatts Park: Successful class

2008-10-10T11:34:00.000-07:00

The self defence class at Pritchatts Park was a good start to the halls classes. 12 people took part and I could see they enjoyed it. I had never been to one of these classes before that day and I saw there that it was just learning about how to hit someone, it was how to be aware of your surroundings, because if you are aware of your surroundings you are less likely to get into dangerous situations. The first half of the classes was based around the concept of “commentary walking” and how best to avoid the situations that would mean you would need to defend yourself. The rest of the session compromised of using pads to practise some more physical techniques.

Our instructor Bob Spour (http://www.bobspour.co.uk/) was great to work with and as an added bonus his son, who is a police officer in London came to the class to offer participants the chance to ask about the legal ramifications of defending yourself. Overall it was an enjoyable day, even if it was raining! :(

Stress

2008-10-08T09:42:00.000-07:00

I'm stressed. I know how pathetic it sounds saying so early in the term, but I am. I didn't think it would be this hard to do my degree while working in the guild. I thought I had prepared well enough in advance, afterall I worked the whole summer in the guild. I did a lot of the ground work but it seems I have so much more to do. Don't get me wrong im not complaining, when i'm doing it im loving it, its just that after I think "oh god I still need to read 3 more chapters of the Illiad" or something like that. The problem is that if I do something I want to do it great, which kinda takes up a bit of time... and effort.

But just so you know, I am actually doing something.

Reclaim the night! - Bham and London

2008-10-03T05:37:00.000-07:00

London:

The London reclaim the night is a national march that takes place every year. This year the event will take place Saturday, November 22nd. If anyone is intersted in going please contact me because wmanus are currently helping us organise a free bus for students. There is also alternative transport that has been organised, however they are asking for a small donation.

Birmingham:

Some of you may be aware, while others not so much, that a group called Birmingham Feminists are organising a Reclaim the night in Birmingham. This event is planned for Saturday, January 17th. Currently the group and myself are organising other details.

For those who don't know, Reclaim the night is a march where women walk a set route as a protest against violence and rape towards women. These marches can also take place as a general protest towards saftey at night, for example with poorly lit areas being a target.

If you would like to know more about Birmingham Reclaim the night, you can visit the website @ http://www.brumreclaim.wordpress.com/

GC Reports = Blogs

2008-10-02T05:31:00.000-07:00

We've now been told that we are to write condenced versions of our reports and put the details and generally what we have been up to on our blogs. Apparently (I cant remember) the exec were mandated to do that last year but didn't. So we are doing it this year. I've been good I've already wrote mine, I orignally starting writing the main report ages ago because I didn't want to forget. So when this was mentioned it was a case of copying and pasting bits into a half a page report.

So that basically means if you want to see what we are up to then you need to read these blogs, if you don't and you don't know whats going on then thats basically your own fault. The idea behind these is to let everyone see the same thing, the blogs also make our info more accessible to students.

I have more info to add but for today this will be it.

Fem Lit: you either love it or you hate it.

2008-09-16T17:45:00.000-07:00

For all those who are interested in blogs that talk about feminist issues, click here. I am a little biased because I write in it but I do think it is good, and all I've had is good reviews so far. :)

Smexy Posters: Self Defence

2008-09-16T10:04:00.001-07:00

Look at this smexy poster! The marketing department are fantastic, they made this beautiful masterpiece for me. As you can probably tell, I'm really really happy! Yes it is very different from what I imagined but love is love! You certainly can't argue with it. I've got to admit I was moderately worried about posters not being done in time, but looking back at it now thats just silly. Not only do I have these lovely A3 posters to give the RAs on Thursday but Marketing said that they would give me one (maybe two) really big ones to put up in the huge boards at the guild and, if I give them some dates of the first classes to be held then they will put it in a news bullentine and on the website!! *doing 'happy dance boogie!* Besides the posters being done, which is fantastic, I have made the sign up sheets for the halls to use when signing their freshers up, which is great. So far i've got two pages per halls but I'm thinking of making it three and sending all the RAs and FOC SOC an electronic copy so if they need it they can print more out. The attack alarms have been tricky. I had originally been told I would be supplied with enough but this isn't the case anymore so we're looking into getting some especially. To check out the facebook group, click here.

Mirror, MIRROR!!

2008-09-16T05:39:00.000-07:00

I didn't volunteer for the job of finding the promotional gifts because I knew how hard it would be. Unfortunately for me I got put on the job anyway, I wasn't going to complain (too much) because in all fairness I did need to do something, I just knew this would be difficult so I wasn't looking forward to the challenge.

I should probably tell you more background info before I go on. Im currently on the commitee for a new group created for women in technology, currently named B WISTE. We were discussing the launch of the group which is going to happen Wednesday 22nd October. We'd talked about schedual of the event and inticing new people by offering free food when Hollie thought of offering a welcome gift. Everybody thought it was a great idea, but the question was... what the hell was it going to be?! We all agreed that it should be useful, but we were stumped for a while. Hollie suggested a lanyard. She had loved hers so much and it was useful. It was a good idea but all I couldt suddenly remember was my freshers week and the half a dozen lanyards I had been given and eventually threw away because I had so many. I kept thinking, it should be something that people would want to carry around and something that not everyone gave out. Then I thought how about a COMPACT MIRROR? Yes it is central to women, but then again so is the group. And they use mirrors in physics, ok not in the same way but they do. Plus a lot of women I know carry a compact with them. It is unique and easy to kept with you, and come on lets face it a decent compact mirror is worth its weight in gold!

However at the same time I knew how hard it was likely to be to get hold of 324 compact mirrors, especially ones that looked nice. I at first believed the ideal price would be £5, boy was that hopeful! As a price overall that was just way too much. I thought I was stuffed, the Pippa found a site where I could buy 324 compact mirrors for £1.79 each (in bulk) and to top it all off they were decent mirrors. Suddenly the price dropped from £2500 to £600. I must admit I was pretty freaking happy, hell I was ready to buy them there and then! I even managed to squeese free engraving from one of the companies my dad does some freelance engineering for.

The only problem left is VAT. I hate it so. That 17.5% that screws up all of your plans, it would be fine if we could claim it back. But we can't!! How awful is that! Currently I'm not sure what we're going to do but it will have to get sorted soon. :)

Team Building Exercises/Pranks

2008-09-12T08:06:00.000-07:00

We came
We went
We conquered...

Unfortunately throughout Officer training, all the times I had the opportunity to do team building games/exercises I was either working or ill. So I never really got the chance to participate in some of the nutty things they do, and come on, from the look of facebook they do look kinda fun. The most I got to do was mess around with play dough.

So, when Tom (VPEA) came into the non-sabb office saying 'come on, we're going to steal the open day food' I thought it would be interesting to watch. Well, he didn't quite say "steal" but he did later. Lol.

So together with Jen (The Big Cheese), Tom, Siobhan, Chris, Hannah and another guy we went to the arts building in search of free food. Having already bought my lunch I didn't really want anything but nevertheless I did help carry all the food from our raid back to the guild. One moment from the raid I will not forget is when we were leaving the common room in the arts building with stacks of food because it was that time someone from the university started heading our way. Jen dashed away quickly while Tom was talking on the phone how we just "nicked" a load of food, just as the guy walked past him. It was so funny, Jen fell out of an electric door trying to get away. The best part however was probably the fact we all had our badges on and to make it worse some were wearing their officer hoodies with their positions and names on. But ended up well and we were praised for our efforts by student staff. Free food is good food. (Photos: the remains!)

It was when I got back into the office I realised that I had made a crucial mistake. I had left Emma in the office without locking my computer. So there I was happily typing away when Siobhan, who had just got back to her email next to me, asked me if I had left my email on because apparently I had sent her an email. Wondering what the hell she was on about I checked my sent messages I managed to find that Emma and Hollie thought it would be hilarious to send emails around the sabbs and a few staff members saying "Wanna go for a drink sometime? I think your fit!" Hysterical. Absolutely bloody hysterical. Although I did learn to lock my computer that day, there were times when I was naive and too bloody trusting for my own good. I got locked out of the office 2 more times that day while they sent messages all from themselves and the staff! And you could tell when they did it too because all you would be able to hear is someone screaming "OH NO NOT AGAIN!!" and banging on the officer door as they barricaded me out! All I can be grateful for is that it wasn't an all staff email. Hmp! If this isn't bullying I don't what is, but I can tell you I am plotting my revenge!! Muhhahahahaha!

Self Defense Update

2008-08-28T07:16:00.000-07:00

Due to our instructors being very busy there are not enough available dates for all of the halls for next term. Those who reply to the email later then everyone else will have to wait until January before their hall can get a class. I have placed the people that got back to me but these aren’t final because none of the dates asked for where available. If you see your placing and you wish to chance please let me know as soon as possible.

Sat 4th Oct: Pritchatts Park
Sat 25th Oct: Jarratt Hall
Sat 8th Nov: Hunter Court
Sat 15th Nov: Tennis Courts
Sat 6th Dec: free

Residences that didn’t get back to me:
Aitken Wing
Elgar Court
FOCSOC
Maple Bank
Mason Hall
Shackleton
The Beeches
Victoria Halls

Please get back to me as soon as possible.

The day my reign began...

2008-08-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

Well, actually that was August the 1st, that fact that I'm writing this 4 days late has nothing to do with it. I really don't know what to say I just thought I would commemorate the occasion. It seems like forever since the results were read out.

I've got to admit though, while campaigning got me down at times I am glad that we're finally here.

The day I discovered my blog...

2008-07-29T08:38:00.000-07:00

The day I discovered my blog was not really that eventful. So far in my 'non-sabb career' (I don't even get paid) I have started organising self defence classes in halls as well as general ones, contacted marketing to sort out publicity for the classes and a campaign I plan on going and started revamping the Women's Network website (check this out).

To be honest besides have a bunch of meetings and officer training nothing else has really happened.

So far I have done:

Started revamping the women's network website(check this out).
Booked stalls for the women;s network at the society fair.
Started doing something about that pay review I promised.
Been in touch with Muay Thai boxing about instructors for self defence classes in halls, as well as general classes.
Manage to help fund the self defence classes in halls. They would have normally cost freshers £11.65, with most halls agreeing to pay £6.65 some more, freshers have to pay £5 for a 4 hour intense training session.
Set up meetings with marketing. Posters will not happen on their own.

At the moment I can't really think of anything else so I'll go now as I have to go and get ready for work. :)

Being pro-choice is my choice

2008-03-14T04:17:00.000-07:00

I have met thousands and thousands of pro-choice men and women. I have never met anyone who is pro-abortion.
- Hillary Clinton

I became inspired to write this after someone decided to try and tell me that a woman should not be able to have the option for an abortion- he (oh yes, a he!!) basically said to me that a woman had no right to choose what happened to her body, please feel free to give your opinion. However before you continue reading I would just like to point out that I am Pro-choice, if you are against pro-choice I am warning you now that you will not like the rest of this piece. If you would like to read on regardless that is fine but I am stating this now because my pro-choice beliefs mean that this piece is more then a little biased.

You don’t have to be anti-life, to be pro-choice.Abortion… when people think of abortion there are many different responses. Many are arguments for people with strong pro-life beliefs, but what these people do not understand that just because women want the choice to have an abortion does not mean they will have one.

Being pro-choice is having the option for women to choose what happens to their body. It is not about encouraging as many women as possible to abort unborn children. There are women who are pro-choice but would not want to have an abortion- I am one of them. Personally I do not feel I would have one because I do not want to ever have one, but I do not know what will happen to me in the future. There are countless different scenarios that could happen, from rape to a medical condition. If something terrible has happened to a women and the choice to have an abortion is not available, numerous things could happen.

There are many different arguments for and against abortions, here listed, are 10 on both sides of the argument:

Pro-Life:

Since life begins at conception, abortion is akin to murder as it is the act of taking human life. Abortion is in direct defiance of the commonly accepted idea of the sanctity of human life.

No civilized society permits one human to intentionally harm or take the life of another human without punishment, and abortion is no different.

Adoption is a viable alternative to abortion and accomplishes the same result. And with 1.5 million American families wanting to adopt a child, there is no such thing as an unwanted child.

An abortion can result in medical complications later in life; the risk of ectopic pregnancies doubles, and the chance of a miscarriage and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease also increases.

In the instance of rape and incest, proper medical care can ensure that a woman will not get pregnant.Abortion punishes the unborn child who committed no crime; instead, it is the perpetrator who should be punished.

Abortion should not be used as another form of contraception.

For women who demand complete control of their body, control should include preventing the risk of unwanted pregnancy through the responsible use of contraception or, if that is not possible, through abstinence.

Many Americans who pay taxes are opposed to abortion, therefore its morally wrong to use tax dollars to fund abortion.

Those who choose abortions are often minors or young women with insufficient life experience to understand fully what they are doing. Many have lifelong regrets afterwards.

Abortion frequently causes intense psychological pain and stress.

Pro-Choice:

Nearly all abortions take place in the first trimester, when a foetus cannot exist independent of the mother. As it is attached by the placenta and umbilical cord, its health is dependent on her health, and cannot be regarded as a separate entity as it cannot exist outside her womb.

The concept of personhood is different from the concept of human life. Human life occurs at conception, but fertilized eggs used for in vitro fertilization are also human lives and those not implanted are routinely thrown away. Is this murder, and if not, then how is abortion murder?

Adoption is not an alternative to abortion, because it remains the woman’s choice whether or not to give her child up for adoption. Statistics show that very few women who give birth choose to give up their babies - less than 3% of white unmarried women and less than 2% of black unmarried women.

Abortion is a safe medical procedure. The vast majority of women 88% - who have an abortion, do so in their first trimester. Medical abortions have less than 0.5% risk of serious complications and do not affect a woman’s health or future ability to become pregnant or give birth.

In the case of rape or incest, forcing a woman made pregnant by this violent act would cause further psychological harm to the victim. Often a woman is too afraid to speak up or is unaware she is pregnant, thus the morning after pill is ineffective in these situations.

Abortion is not used as a form of contraception. Pregnancy can occur even with responsible contraceptive use. Only 8% of women who have abortions do not use any form of birth control, and that is due more to individual carelessness than to the availability of abortion.

The ability of a woman to have control of her body is critical to civil rights. Take away her reproductive choice and you step onto a slippery slope. If the government can force a woman to continue a pregnancy, what about forcing a woman to use contraception or undergo sterilization?

Taxpayer dollars are used to enable poor women to access the same medical services as rich women, and abortion is one of these services. Funding abortion is no different from funding a war in the Mideast. For those who are opposed, the place to express outrage is in the voting booth.

Teenagers who become mothers have grim prospects for the future. They are much more likely to leave of school; receive inadequate prenatal care; rely on public assistance to raise a child; develop health problems; or end up divorced.

Like any other difficult situation, abortion creates stress. Yet the American Psychological Association found that stress was greatest prior to an abortion, and that there was no evidence of post-abortion syndrome.

What could happen if abortion was illegal in the UK?What if medical reasons meant a woman’s life was in danger if the pregnancy progressed? For example if as the mother’s pregnancy advanced her life were to be in danger would you tell her “Tough! Your not allowed to have an abortion”. This could potentially be fatal to the mother. Also in instances of ectopic pregnancy, if a woman continues with the pregnancy in this case, at the very best the woman will very likely either not be able to have children again or find it very hard to conceive. In this case abortion is the only way to ensure the mother’s safety. While the Republic of Ireland do condone abortion if the continuation of pregnancy poses a ‘real and substantial’ risk to a pregnant woman’s life, if it is suspected that a woman is leaving the country for an abortion her passport will be confiscated and she will be forced to continue with her pregnancy. Other then that women only have the right to travel to undergo an abortion, if they are suicidal.

If women were not allowed to have abortions, more lives would be ruined because we would go back to ‘backstreet’ abortions, as it is they are still happening. There is often mention to the ‘backstreet’ abortions that take place African, Middle Eastern, Asian and South American countries were abortion is still illegal as well as places such as India where there is not adequate provision of services. Many illegal abortions are carried out using primitive surgical methods: injecting poisonous solutions into the womb or inserting objects intended to dislodge the fetus. These kinds of abortions are referred to as ‘backstreet’ abortions because they are often carried out by someone with no training, in an unhygienic environment, in conditions of great secrecy. The fact that such a thing exists proves that without the option of legal abortion, many more lives will most likely be sacrificed.

What is a pro-life supporter’s view of rape?Every 34 minutes a rape is reported to the police in the United Kingdom. Thousands more victims do not come forward. So it stands to reason that some of these victims (if women, rape victims are also male) may become pregnant from such an attack.I read recently the thoughts of a pro-life supporter on his opinions of abortion in the case of rape, they included statements that someone who is pro-choice would easily support:

I think it’s ridiculous to suggest that a single-cell fertilized egg (the moment after conception) has just as much a claim to rights as a woman who has been raped and had her rightful choice, and probably the rest of her life; stolen from her. I think it would be ridiculous to suggest that a woman who has been raped should have no access, in the immediate aftermath, to drugs that will help her prevent infection by STDs and furthermore to drugs to help prevent lifetime of negative consequences from carrying a baby she did not choose to have.

The response he received was this:

Everybody accepts the tragedy of rape. But the sinner is the rapist, not the child. God has still created a human, with a right to life.

What this man (it is a man, I checked) has failed to mention is where the woman fits into this. Yes the rapist is the ‘sinner’ (as he puts it) and yes the child is not responsible, but neither is the woman. If the ‘sinner’ is the rapist then why punish the woman? If the woman would like to keep the child that is her personal choice but if she does not why should she have to carry that child for nine months with the constant reminder of what happened to her?

To conclude.When I have expressed my views I have been asked “What if your mother chose not to have you?!” and all I can say to that is:
At that stage in life (both my mother’s and my own) it was her choice to make because it is her life, BUT she chose to have me! And that’s why I am here choosing to tell you exactly how I feel. The point here is… You don’t have to be anti-life, to be pro-choice because you can chose to abort a child… but you can also choose to keep it.

Sources:

http://womensissues.about.com/od/reproductiverights/a/AbortionArgumen.htm

http://www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/index.asp?PageID=599http://ubrm.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2390451222

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2222831342