Wednesday 6 November, 2024
Heidi Stewart, CEO of BPAS, said:
“To every woman feeling fear, anger, and uncertainty today: we hear you, we stand with you, and we will fight for you. Abortion access is not a privilege to be granted or revoked by political leaders; it is a fundamental human right owed to every woman.
“Abortion is not a matter for surveillance, restriction, or criminalisation. Abortion is healthcare. When abortion access is restricted, women die. When the third largest country in the world rolls back abortion rights, we all suffer. And when the rights of millions are disregarded, it weakens the progress we’ve fought for in every corner of the globe.
“It's no coincidence that alongside the anti-abortion movement fighting to overturn Roe v Wade, the UK saw record-high police investigations into abortion-related offences and the most significant parliamentary attempt to roll back abortion access in decades. Anti-abortion activists are emboldened in their continued attempt to strip women of their rights, dignity, and future.
“To our fellow abortion providers across the Atlantic: thank you. The path forward is daunting, but the work you do is now more important than ever before. We are with you.
“The fight of our lives, and for women’s lives, starts today. And BPAS will be relentless. Because we owe it to women across both sides of the Atlantic, and around the world.”
BPAS will later today be launching a JustGiving fundraising campaign, for which 30% of the donations raised will be going to the Brigid Alliance: https://brigidalliance.org/
ENDS
For further information, please contact Georgina O’Reilly, Head of Campaigns and Communications (maternity cover), on georgina.oreilly@bpas.org or 07384 891886.
About BPAS
The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, BPAS, is a charity that sees over 100,000 women a year for reproductive healthcare services including pregnancy counselling, abortion care, miscarriage management and contraception at clinics across Great Britain.
BPAS exists to further women’s reproductive choices. We believe all women should have the right to make their own decisions in and around pregnancy, from the contraception they use to avoid pregnancy right the way through to how they decide to feed their newborn baby, with access to evidence-based information to underpin their choices and high-quality services and support to exercise them.
BPAS also runs the Centre for Reproductive Research and Communication, CRRC. Through rigorous multidisciplinary research and impactful communication, the CRRC aims to inform policy, practice, and public discourse. You can find out more here.