REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS

IN THIS CAMPAIGN RU486 and beyond Not all good news More still to be done Our work OUR ACTION PLANS Sexual and Reproductive Health Status of Women Women’s Health RELATED CAMPAIGNS Pregnancy Counselling Women's Rights Watch Separation of Church and State Highlights of 2006 “Access to health care should always be made on the basis of the best available evidence not the religious views of particular politicians.” Senator Lyn Allison Leader of the Australian Democrats

Reproductive Rights Women's rights have come a long way, but women still fight for the right to make choices about their lives and bodies. Recent examples include the continued difficulty in accessing RU486 in Australia and the lack of transparency in the Federal funding of organisations providing 'counselling' to pregnant women. While some gains have been achieved, there is clearly more to be done. RU486 and beyond The last few years have seen some headline-grabbing gains for women’s reproductive health. Senator Lyn Allison’s introduction of an amendment to remove the ministerial veto over RU486, the ‘abortion pill’, was the catalyst for the historic passage of a cross-party Private Members Bill sponsored by 4 female politicians.   Read Senator Lyn Allison's open letter of thanks to all those who offered support during the RU486 debate. Public funding was provided for herceptin (the breast cancer drug) and the cervical cancer vaccine. The Senate held an inquiry into gynaceological cancers,  which arose out of Senator Allison’s referral to a Senate committee of a petition on the issue.  Senate women (and the one male) involved in the inquiry recommended $1 million to set up a gynaecological cancer centre and the Government has agreed to this and most other recommendations. Breaking the silence: a national voice for gynaecological cancers Senate Report - 19 October 2006 View the full report View the Government response to the report View all documents relating to the report More still to be done Increases in sexual abuse and violence and sexually transmitted disease, high rates of infertility, high levels of ignorance about sexual and reproductive health amongst young people and relatively high numbers of unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, in combination with increasing caesarean rates, restricted access to midwives, too few maternity supports and high levels of post-natal depression suggest that much still needs to be done to improve sexual and reproductive health. Our work CAMPAIGN: Stop the Deception, Regulate Pregnancy Counselling CAMPAIGN: Women's Rights Watch RADIO: Remembering International Women's week - Senator Lyn Allison on ABC's Perspective, 28 March 2007 PRESS: Women must use their votes - Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, 8 March 2007 ARTICLE: Women's rights are top of the agenda - Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, The Advertiser, 27 February 2007 SPEECH: Can women work collaboratively across party lines to challenge the dominant male construct of political power? - Senator Lyn Allison, Lesbia Harford Oration, 18 September 2006 All our latest press releases on the Status of Women