AUSTRALIAN DEMOCRATS WOMEN’S RIGHTS WATCH
VOL 1 EDITION 2 WEDNESDAY 27 JULY 2005
Democrats Federal Leader, Senator Lyn Allison, Status of Women spokesperson, Senator Natasha Stott Despoja, South Australian Leader, Hon. Sandra Kanck MLC, and South Australian Social Justice spokesperson, Hon. Kate Reynolds MLC.
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In this edition:
A win on funding for the domestic violence and sexual assault programs
Holding your parliamentary reps to account on sexual and reproductive health. - suggested points to make when writing to state and federal MPs
Time for anti-choice pregnancy counselling services to come clean
The Bioethics Survey on abortion; conducted by the Catholic Church
Contraception – ask your chemist now!
A win for Essure permanent contraception
Birthing kit project for women in developing countries
Conservative Judge in the US could have repercussion for Australia
Uncomfortable Questions asked and Answered
Wonder Women – do you know one?
Focus – Reproductive Health
As we brace ourselves for the August changeover in the Senate as a result of the 2004 election and the Government takes control of the Senate by the slim margin of one seat, it is worth noting that there are 5 more women in the Senate (1 fewer in the House of Reps). However, it seems likely that there has been an overall increase in the numbers of senators and members who can be expected to hold conservative/religious positions on abortion, euthanasia, IVF, childcare, paid maternity leave and other issues of interest to women.
30-year long campaigner against abortion, Brian Harradine, has retired but new Senator Barnaby Joyce is shaping up to be at least as socially conservative and, more alarmingly, willing to use his vote on the government's wish list of contentious bills to deliver on his own agenda.
Senator Joyce spoke at the Right to Life Conference in Melbourne this month, saying his greatest role in public life was to ban "the unfortunate carnage" of abortion. It is certain that his presence in the Senate will bolster the resolve of the Minister for Health and so many other male MPs with religious convictions on the subject, to drive a clampdown on access to reproductive health services.
The Prime Minister who initially said there would be no change to Medicare subsidies for terminations now says a debate on the issue should go ahead. Senator Boswell has a private member's bill ready to introduce into the parliament limiting Federal funding for terminations to the first trimester and there is talk about compulsory viewing of ultrasounds and cooling off periods for women.
I have no doubt that the assault on choice is not going away; indeed we are already seeing doctors pulling out of providing terminations and medical panels set up to rule on second trimester terminations for fetal abnormality and they do not have to explain their decisions to the woman concerned.
In this environment, pro-choice women must be well prepared and outspoken or our rights will be whittled away.
On 22 June a nation-wide coalition of 20 women's health organisations and individuals was launched in Parliament House, hosted by the Democrats. This group aims to provide a voice for the 81% of Australians who believe in a woman's right to decide when and under what circumstances to continue with a pregnancy. Look up their website at www.reproductivechoiceaustralia.org.au for more detail.
The Democrats have also been very active, asking questions in Senate Estimates, introducing bills, making speeches, putting up motions, forming parliamentary pro-choice groups and pressing for reforms to remove terminations from the state and territory criminal codes, make emergency contraception more widely available, improve sex education, remove the ban on RU486 and the absurd restrictions on our overseas aid budgets, introduced as a result of pressure applied by Senator Harradine.
We hope you find our Women's Rights E-bulletin useful and that you will take up our suggestions for campaigning on these issues.
Yours in Sisterhood!
SENATOR LYN ALLISON
Leader of the Australian Democrats
Domestic violence and sexual assault program funding
In our last bulletin we mentioned that we had written to Minister Patterson urging her to not cease funding for the domestic violence and sexual assault programs, as appeared likely. I am pleased to tell you that we were notified on the eve of the May budget that funding will now be continued. We thank those of you who wrote in on the issue.
Hold your parliamentary reps to account
It is our understanding that a much higher percentage of members of parliament hold conservative, anti choice positions than do in the general public. We urge you to write to or ring the state and federal MPs in your electorate asking them to tell you where they stand on women’s access to reproductive health. Specifically, do they support:
· The decision on abortion to be made solely by the woman concerned and her doctor;
· No restrictions on Medicare subsidies for terminations;
· Decisions on access to IVF to be made by the fertility clinician and the woman concerned;
· Removal of abortion from the criminal code (only the ACT government has done this so far);
· Lifting the restrictions on RU486 – the pharmaceutical abortifacient that has been safely used in Europe and NZ for many years;
· Requiring all pharmacists to stock and make available a full range of contraception, including emergency contraception;
· Sex education programs in schools;
· Confidentiality in GP consultations for young people; and
· Removal of the current condition on Ausaid funding that it is not to be used for training in safe abortions.
Time for anti-choice pregnancy counselling services to come clean
A number of pregnancy counselling services in Australia are run by anti-abortion organisations, yet under existing laws these services are not required to declare their anti-abortion stance, or the fact that many of them do not provide referrals for abortion.
We believe that pregnancy counselling services which do not refer for abortions should make this clear in all their advertising and other material, so women can make an informed choice about which pregnancy counselling service they contact when they are seeking advice on whether to continue with a pregnancy.
To this end, Senator Stott Despoja introduced the Transparent Advertising and Notification of Pregnancy Counselling Services Bill 2005 on June 23.
This bill would comprehensively outlaw all forms of misleading advertising by pregnancy counselling services and ensure transparency in the way these organisations represent themselves, so women know whether the organisations are anti-choice or pro-choice and whether or not they refer for abortions.
To read Senator Stott Despoja's speech to the Bill, Click here
To read an article from The Age regarding Senator Stott Despoja’s bill, Click here
Please contact Senator Stott Despoja's office on 08 8232 7595 or senator.stottdespoja@aph.gov.au if you would like a copy of the bill, or more information about it.
Catholic Church and abortion pseudoscience
Earlier this year there was a great deal of media coverage of a report on Australians attitudes to abortion published by the Southern Cross Bioethics Institute. Unfortunately what was not reported was the Bioethics Institute’s refusal to provide critical information about how the research was done, such as who funded it and the questions that were asked. As it turns out the Bioethics Institute has strong links to the extreme conservative elements within the Catholic Church. We think this calls into question the objectivity of any so-called research they undertake. See Senator Allison’s press release and an online article by Eva Cox for more details.
Greater Detail Needed to Validate Abortion Survey
Pharmacists’ ideology outweighs women’s access to contraception
Over the last few months we have seen reports of pharmacists refusing to stock emergency contraception, condoms and to fill legally prescribed birth control prescriptions or inserting editorial ‘notes’ into the packages. These refusals are reported to be based on the pharmacist’s personal religious beliefs, not on any medical or professional concern about the safety or welfare of the customer.
Minister Abbott defended these pharmacists saying “it’s up to them”.
We say the Health Minister has a serious conflict of interest between his religious beliefs and meeting the rights and need of women for reproductive health. And we don’t think pharmacists should force their personal convictions onto women who do not share them. Denying access to contraception may have serious consequences, particularly in rural areas and will certainly not reduce unwanted pregnancies or abortion rates.
Access to Contraceptives Under Threat
Join the Democrats in telling Australian pharmacists that they should respect women’s reproductive health decisions.
We suggest you visit your local pharmacy and ask if they stock emergency contraception and if not, why not. Better still, purchase a pack and say [loudly] that you will keep on hand, just in case you or anyone else in the family needs it!
Write to one of the major chemists chains such as Soul Patterson and demand that they protect their customer's health by ensuring their pharmacy will guarantee women have unhindered access to their reproductive medications.
Good news for continued funding for less invasive permanent birth control, for now
Essure, is an alternative to tubal ligation that does not require incisions or a general anaesthetic. When the makers of this device applied to have the trial phase concluded at the end of 3 years rather than 5 because if its great success, the Health Minister announced that the interim Medicare rebate would be removed altogether. As a result of Senator Allison drawing this to the attention of the Parliamentary Group on Population & Development (PGPD) and their lobbying of the Minister, he agreed to restore the Essure trial funding until the end of 2007. He will then decide whether or not to provide the procedure with a Medicare item number on a permanent basis.
Senator Allison speaks on the Millennium Development Goals
On the 22nd of June Senator Allison spoke in Parliament on the need for Australia to do more to empower women worldwide. Senator Allison as the Deputy Chair of the PGPD highlighted the critical role that access to reproductive health services plays in saving women’s lives and alleviating poverty and urged the Government to press for sexual and reproductive health to be included in the eight Millennium Development Goals at the UN review conference. To read Senator Allison's speech, Click here
Birthing kit project for women in developing countries
Senator Stott Despoja speaks to Parliament about a birthing kit project for women in developing countries conducted by the Zonta Club of the Adelaide Hills. To read the speech, Click here
Conservative Judge in the US could have repercussion for Australia
This week President Bush nominated conservative and anti-abortion Judge John Roberts to the US Supreme Court. Judge John Roberts co-wrote a brief in 1990 in that suggested the Supreme Court decision that legalised abortion should be overturned. The American Democrats can still block the president's nomination.
Crikey.com.au had this to say about the impact on Australia:
What does this mean for
Australia? More than you might think. The Australian High Court, in
practice, treats USSC decisions as influential. The US and Australian legal
systems are very similar, particularly as both are federations with written
constitutions subject to judicial review.
A conservative majority in the USSC will (inevitably) have a conservative
influence on the HCA, particularly as the Australian Liberal government will
be able to fill our Court with conservatives who will be receptive to the
analyses and attitudes of the USSC.
The Australian Democrats are concerned that with the number of very conservative representatives in federal parliament, that Australia could very well be headed down the same path. Something to keep an eye on!
Uncomfortable Questions asked and Answered
Answers to Questions
As promised, please find links to the following answers to questions put by:
Senator Stott Despoja.
Australian Centre for the Study of Sexual Assault
Anti-Domestic Violence Advertising Campaign
Supported Accommodation Assistance Program
National Domestic Violence Hotline
Partnerships Against Domestic Violence
Pregnancy Counselling Services – The Government only chose to answer 3 out of the 6 questions that we originally lodged. We are still awaiting answers to the 3 outstanding questions.
Senator Lyn Allison
Hysterectomies - whether Australian women are having more than necessary.
Public funding for pregnancy counselling and/or family planning
Public funding to anti-choice organisations
Episiotomy – the practice of cutting the vaginal opening during childbirth and evidence showing that it has no benefit in normal deliveries.
New Questions Asked
Click here for new questions from Senator Lyn Allison on:
· breast screening for women in the Indian Ocean territories
· restrictions to IVF
· restrictions on the import of RU486, the abortifacient
If you have questions you would like us to ask Government Ministers, please email Kellie at womensrightswatch@democrats.org.au
Wonder Woman Profile
The Wonder Woman profile is an initiative to promote and encourage women connected with advancement of women’s rights. Inclusion does not imply any political affiliation with the Australian Democrats unless explicitly stated.
Nominate a ‘Wonder Woman’ you would like to see profiled here. Send an email to Kellie at womensrightswatch@democrats.org.au
Our Wonder Woman for this edition is, Dr Nouria Salehi, is with the Afghan Australian Volunteers Association. Read about her below.
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WONDER WOMEN |
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Name: |
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Dr Nouria Salehi |
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Role and organisation (if applicable): |
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Afghan Australian Volunteers Association has been established to provide aid in education and health to the Afghans, especially women and their children. |
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What is the most important issue relating to women’s lives for you/your organisation? |
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Giving them a voice which enables them to defend their rights in a war torn country in Afghanistan. |
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How are you involved in addressing this issue? |
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I believe in “involve me I understand”. Being an Afghan Australian, helped me understand the condition of life and miseries in the refugee camps in other countries and also inside Afghanistan during the war and today. |
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What is the best piece of advice or inspiration you have received on women’s rights and who was it from? |
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Be Patient, do more for people who need your help, be active if you can and see the result. ”my mother’s advise”
Encouragement, from Senator Lyn Allison, Margaret Piper and Pamela Bone. |
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What advice would you give to young women about improving the status of women? |
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Asking for their rights is not enough, feel responsible for the wellbeing of others. |
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How do you react when you experience derogatory attitudes towards women? |
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I try to stay calm and prepare myself for a positive action instead of negative reaction. |
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Where would you search for information/research about the status of women? |
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I use the internet and websites. |
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How would you rate women's equality compared to that of men's now? (Far from Equal, Near Equal, or Equal) |
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If we work hard as we do today and without any sabotage, we will approach the gap soon. |
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Where do you see women's equality in the future? |
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In Politics, Education, Health and Business. |
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Back Chat
Please let us know if you have:
· Comments to add;
· Questions you want the Government to answer;
· Stories to share;
· Requests for our equality postcards;
· Advice to give; or
· Other feedback to offer.
Send an email to Kellie at womensrightswatch@democrats.org.au
The Bottom Line
Pets in Crisis
A Domestic Violence program which is a joint venture between RSPCA Qld and DVConnect in QLD called “Pets in Crisis” has been set up to address the often forgotten issue of animals who are also abused in instances of DV. Democrats Deputy leader and Senator for Queensland, Andrew Bartlett, attended the launch of this program. For more information go to http://www.dvconnect.org/about/projects.asp
Status of Women press releases
Status of Women press releases
Women’s Rights Watch campaign page
www.democrats.org.au/campaigns/womens_rights_watch/