Abortion is often held up as an important ‘choice’ that women should be able to make. But women who choose abortion often cite reasons such as fear of intimate partner violence, coercion from their partner or others, study or career pressures, and a lack of financial and emotional support.
Abortion under these circumstances is not ‘choice’… it’s desperation.
We need to do far more as a society to address the significant pressures that pregnant women are facing and to provide positive, non-harmful solutions for them and their children. This includes addressing issues of domestic violence, access to and affordability of childcare, flexible workplace and study arrangements, and access to pregnancy counselling and support.
Instead of simply providing women with the so-called ‘choice’ of abortion on demand, the Australian government needs to address these issues and provide women with genuine support, so that every woman facing an unplanned pregnancy feels empowered to have and to raise her child, and never feels as if abortion is her only choice.
Sign your name today, and join the movement of Australians calling for real choice for women facing unexpected pregnancies.
Rachael Wong
CEO | Women’s Forum Australia