- Conference
- 2023 National Women's Conference
- Date
- 13 October 2022
- Decision
- Carried as Amended
Conference notes that the decision to seek an abortion is never an easy one for a woman, and is a very stressful time of life.
Conference also notes the recent attacks on Roe Vs Wade in the USA have given encouragement to anti-choice protesters and activists internationally.
Such protests frequently take the form of picketing clinics and units which provide abortion related services, with displays of religious symbols, foetuses, and verbal abuse and harassment of vulnerable women seeking to access the services.
Conference believes that women should be able to access abortion and counselling in a safe and low stress environment, and that no woman should be subject to harassment at such a time.
Conference also notes that local authorities have the power to establish “buffer zones” where protests are banned within a certain distance of facilities providing abortion, by use of by-laws, and that this has been effective in places like Ealing and Leeds in the past. (This is the case in England and Wales).
Conference notes that in Scotland a woman MSP from the Green Party has launched a Private Members Bill to create buffer zones around abortion clinics.
Conference calls upon:
1 The NWC to produce campaign materials and briefings for branches and regions to lobby local councils to work towards establishing buffer zones around all premises that offer abortion related services.
2 For NWC to work with Labour Link to encourage Labour councillors/authorities to support the implementation of buffer zones around all clinics and hospitals providing abortion related services.