Direct action prochoice performance collective Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A has launched a new prochoice campaign today called #knickersforchoice
Maureen O’Hara and John Wayne in The Quiet Man
The ladies in red are launching the campaign with a hysterical video that is a play on the John Wayne classic The Quiet Man. If you would like to support the campaign, take a pic of your knickers and tag it #knickersforchoice. You can send it to Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A via Twitter or Facebook
My Belly is Mine is very proud to be a co-organizer of the Festival of Choice in London from Tuesday 23rd of September till Sunday 28th, which is the Global Day of Action for Access to Safe and Legal Abortion.
The Festival of Choice aims to raise awareness of threats to reproductive rights and the plight of women and girls in countries around the world who do not have access to safe and legal abortion. The Festival also wishes to celebrate the solidarity and activism of women and girls and to strengthen and support the prochoice message, locally and globally.
The Festival is jointly organised by Amnesty International, Central America Women’s Network, HYSTERIA, Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A and the 15M Spanish Women’s Assembly.
We have a wonderful programme of events, including a discussion on the impact of banning abortion, spoken word, art, performance, film screening etc.
The Festival will end with the signing of a joint manifesto by the participating organisations.
We look forward to seeing you at the events!
Spanish media was awash this weekend with articles stating that the country’s antiabortion draft bill had been shelved. Even The Guardian caught wind of the news, despite the fact that the Spanish abortion bill has been largely conspicuous by its absence in British media since the proposed legislation was announced in December 2013. For a man as arrogant as the Spanish Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón, whose personal mission (and obsession) was the abortion reform, it must have been a humiliating experience. Prochoice and feminist organisations in Spain and abroad celebrated the news on Twitter and Facebook.
And then amid the celebrations, sources from within the Spanish Justice Ministry reported being absolutely unaware of any annulment of the bill. “We are seeking the maximum consensus within the party and finalising the details of the final draft”, a Justice spokesperson confidently stated.
Spanish Justice Minister, Alberto Ruiz-Gallardón
It seems government sources had leaked Prime Minister Rajoy’s intention to halt the bill’s process, a decision that was made without consulting the Justice Minister. Rajoy is uneasy about the bill’s unpopularity and does not want it affecting the Popular Party’s upcoming electoral campaign. It is clear that Gallardón has been seriously undermined by Rajoy and other key members within his own party. Indeed, the Spanish right-wing newspaper ABC reported yesterday that Gallardón plans to step down if the abortion bill is withdrawn, a development he apparently communicated himself to the newspaper. ABC then updated its article by stating that Gallardón would make the decision as regards to his political career in a week. Moreover, just a few hours ago, the Spanish daily El Mundo reported Gallardón’s intention to discuss the abortion reform next week as he is currently very busy with Catalonia’s “sovereignty” issues.
Isolated within his own party and seriously undermined by the Prime Minister, Gallardón is scrambling to figure out how to save face. Watch this space to follow the latest developments and see what moves are the next he makes.
We did it! When My Belly is Mine was formed at the very beginning of this year, our objective was to stop the Spanish antiabortion draft bill proposed by the conservative Popular Party (also known as the People’s Party) from being presented in parliament. If enacted, this reform would have taken Spain back 30 years in terms of reproductive rights. We worked hard to raise awareness of this threat. We echoed the major demos in Spain, alongside other protesters in European capitals and in cities across the world. Indeed, we were just one of the many many voices in Spain and abroad that clamoured against the bill. The Spanish press finally reported this weekend that the proposed abortion reform has been shelved due to a lack of consensus within the party. Congratulations and thanks to every single person who took to the streets and shouted out against the bill! We won!
The Freedom Train protests in Madrid on the 1 Feb. My Belly is Mine echoed this protest in London.
“The abortion law has been aborted” Illustration by Jesús AG
As reported on this blog, the Spanish Justice Minister Gallardón was the main force behind this regressive bill, which was to be known unofficially as Gallardón’s Law. Gallardón repeatedly claimed to have Prime Minister Rajoy’s total support for the bill. It was no surprise that the political left in Spain came together to vehemently oppose the draft bill, yet it would be his own party and Rajoy that would bring about the Justice Minister’s undoing. Privately Gallardón garnered support from party members yet in public few supported him. The regional leader José Antonio Monago was the first to criticise the bill by stating “nobody can force motherhood upon a woman”. As protests mounted and the unpopularity of the bill became evident, other regional leaders began to fear for their own political careers.
Gallardón continued to defend his reform as he became increasingly isolated within his own political party. Throughout the summer, the presentation of the bill in parliament was continually postponed. Gallardón talked of busy schedules and conflicting agendas. The Spanish press, however, surmised the bill was being stalled behind the scenes. Protests continued, maintaining the pressure. My Belly is Mine organised an intense summer campaign in conjunction with Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A and the 15M Spanish Women’s Assembly: we protested on two occasions outside the Spanish Embassy, once in the London Underground and once outside City Hall.
The Spanish Women’s Assembly at a recent joint protest.
The American author and activist Alice Walker said that activism was the rent she paid for living on the planet. Going to a protest, taking a banner, signing a petition, shouting out…this does all make a difference: always make your voice heard!
Here’s the video of the demo organised at the Irish Embassy in London on Wednesday 20th of August to protest against the treatment of Migrant X at the hands of the Irish state. The protest was co-organized by Abortion Rights, Abortion Rights East London, Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A., the London Irish Feminist Network, 4o Days of Choice and My Belly is Mine.
Cristina from My Belly is Mine, speaking at the protest
The video features a special performance by Speaking of I.M.E.L.D.A in which My Belly is Mine members were proud to participate. Please share widely.
my belly is mine 