reproductive justice

Reproductive rights round-up: NSW, Vic, SA, Tas

Fetal personhood legislation progressing through parliament in NSW while failing in South Australia. Tasmania adopts Victoria-like access to legal abortion, but the campaign to repeal part of Victoria’s abortion access heats up. And the USA demonstrates the uses to which fetal personhood can be put.

Fetal personhood (“Zoe’s Law”) before NSW Parliament

The stated intent of Zoe’s Law is to allow separate prosecution of injury to a fetus, following the death of Zoe Donegan (stillborn at 32 weeks gestation) in 2009 after Zoe’s mother Brodie was hit by a van. However, the bill has been introduced by an anti-abortion politician, and there are grave concerns about its potential interpretation, particularly “an unborn child is taken to be a living person”. Coalition and ALP members have been granted a conscience vote on Zoe’s law.

Friday Hoyden: Constance Johnson

Women’s reproductive rights are under threat everywhere in the US. In the state of Oklahoma, the “Personhood Bill” is aimed not only at abortion, but at some forms of contraception.

Kate Harding nails it

A USAmerican couple have put up a website asking the Internet whether they should choose to complete her pregnancy or terminate it. Of course it’s a pro-life/anti-choice stunt,