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Reproductive Rights Manifesto

By Claire Nemorin           

Mar-May 2007

I, _____________ _______________________ have the right to the following freedoms and choices. These freedoms should be engendered through Parliament, government policy, the law, community, research and other information centres, the health industries and its professionals and advocacy. Most importantly, I have the right to reproductive choice because these rights are not just women’s rights, they are human rights.
           

• I have the right to not have children. I do not have to be wholly defined by a biological function that I may or may not have.

• I have the choice and right to be a parent therefore to be free from the threats of sterilisation due to race, ethnicity or disability.

• I have the right to be included in government policy which deals with reproductive choice and/or the raising of children. Examples include: Medicare and bulk billing, family planning, emergency contraception, In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) for ALL women, relatively inexpensive child care fees, child care tax deductions, the needed reinstatement of the child care centre subsidy, suitable number of long day care and other types of child care places, quality and well managed child care centres, well paid child care professionals, number of pre school places, anti discrimination laws in the workplace based on motherhood and being a woman, pay equity, a fair industrial relations system, unpaid and paid parental leave, and affordable public housing.

• I want the freedom to be heard in relation to reproductive choice in a democratic society — whether in Parliament, in Parliamentary committees, as part of NGOs, or other stakeholders.

• I want proper and full choice whereby reproductive choice organisations, grassroots and community organisations and women’s health centres are funded by the government of the day regardless of its ideology.

• I have the right of access to on-demand abortion. The ACT has paved the way, now the rest of the states and territories must follow. I want the freedom of access to safe, legal, geographically accessible, confidential and inexpensive abortions partly funded through Medicare.

• I have the right to accessible contraception and birth control: this means they must be safe and inexpensive, and their prescription subject to privacy laws. If not already, contraception including those used in emergency and birth control must be made available over the counter with method of use, risks (without scare tactics) and benefits clearly outlined. This must occur regardless of age and location.

• I have the right to know the ideologies of organisations that purport to help women with reproductive issues, thus they should be upfront, transparent and ideally work in the interest of the woman.

• I have the right to not be judged or not to be patronised by professionals in the health industries, whether this discrimination be based on race, sexuality, gender, age, or having a disability.

• I want the freedom to be well informed about all options, risks and benefits: pre, during and post surgical procedures; this is also known as ‘informed consent’.

• I have the right to counselling post any procedure regarding possible reproduction.

• Young people have the right to good, well informed and non-ideologically based sex education in high school. This sex education should consider sexual autonomy, emotions, mutual respect, desires, homo- and hetero- sexualities, and safe sex among other issues. This will give young people greater freedom later.

• I want the freedom to have knowledge about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and this knowledge should not help to demonise groups of people.

• I want the freedom to know my own body without shame or judgment.

• We have the right to the woman’s health being put first at all times.

Feminists, disability advocates, antiracists, scientists, gay liberation, queer, reproductive choice, civil liberty, humanist, lobbyists and other activists, lawyers and other advocates, judges, artists, health and education professionals, politicians, writers and others have helped to make some of the above not yet fully realised realities.

We too can make a difference through joining feminist and other organisations, writing letters to the media, writing stories, poems and creating other artistic works, protesting, taking cases of discrimination to HREOC, confronting the person who did not treat us with respect and dignity, voting for or joining a political party which considers women’s rights, annoying the local MP or the state/territory and/or federal health ministers and hopefully Minister for Women, writing submissions to Parliamentary committees and many, many more!

We all have a valuable part to play…

Signature: _________________________________________________________

Date: __________________________________________________________________________

Whom you can contact to enact change!

Minister Julie Bishop (Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Women's Issues and Minister for Education, Science and Training)

http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member.asp?id=83P

Perth Office:
414 Rokeby Road
Subiaco WA 6008

Postal Address:
PO Box 2010
Subiaco WA 6904

Telephone: (08) 9388 0288
Fax: (08) 9388 0299

Minister Mal Brough (Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and the Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Indigenous Affairs)

http://www.aph.gov.au/house/members/member.asp?electorate=Longman

Caboolture Office:
110 Morayfield Road
Caboolture QLD 4510

Postal address:
PO Box 1883
Caboolture Qld 4510

Telephone: (07) 5495 6290
Fax: (07) 5498 3307

Minister John Cobb (Minister for Community Services)

Email: John.Cobb.MP@aph.gov.au

Dubbo Office:
3-153, Brisbane Street
Dubbo NSW 2830

Telephone: (02) 6882 0999
Fax: (02) 6882 9935

Broken Hill Office:
2 Brookfield House
275 Argent Street
Broken Hill NSW 2880

Postal Address:
Po Box 443
Broken Hill NSW 2880

Telephone: (08) 8087 7649
Fax: (08) 8087 7605