Fighting against the closedown of the women's clinics

Q DEFEND THE CLINICS

The High Court judgement against the rights against women who have abortions has ¢ ribed tl ruling as a ‘witchpregnancy counselling service of the becomes a real possibility. Under the hunters charter’, [t Ri¥ a green ‘Ll Woman Centre and Open Line Counsel- flences Against The Person's Act [561 light For felon setting entrapment ling marks a watershed in the attacks A woman attempting to abort herself faces by bigots such as SPUC. It is the most on women's righta. The fundamental right life imprisonment and anyone heiping Significant for the ‘moral if freedom of information and choice hec to procure an abortion 5 years. The ma jor it to date.

has been denied by the judgement, the Act, vhich is reaffirmed in the Hamilton whole ust of which is to create a Ruling, represents the most anti-abortion climate of Fear and intimidation amongst legislation to be found anywhere in the Proscribing the ri of women to Women rights are completely civilized world, The 1861 Act is a piece discuss all aspe of their red in the judgement. In his summation of old British legislation and is an undermines solidarity between tice Hamilton stated that the ruling example of how the old colonial oppressive creates the conditions w t have to have regard for the equal ceystem has not been dismantled, but just mal women ¢an be intimids right to life of the mother. Pape after taken over. It is a prime example of ther isolated. The High Gourt reiterates the rights of the unborn how the failure to break with imperial ment if implemented literally c sen’s rights. Abortion is -seen effects women's lives. mean a@ distressed pregnant woman cowl as evil and wrong in every repard,"it is not get information on abortion [roa contrary bo nate policy, public moral- The judgement raises very serious quest- her closest friend without pa over wo ity, contrary to law, both common and ions with regard to freedom of informa— a ‘criminal conspiracy’. The j statue law" and to the Constitution. tion and speech. The right of informa- has implications far beyond pre cy the life of the unborn is seen as ‘a tion is seen as a qualified right counselling in that it 5 the precesacred tr hich all organs of gov- in this case qualified by the rights dent. for a broader denial of informat ior snd their support". The of the unborn. The foetus now has a and an extension of censorship to other hat abortion is murder runs through veto over what women can discuss. Page areas. This has always been the inte the whole judgement with the aim being 42 states: ‘the qualified right to tien of e far right. By attacking protect the [oot an a living human privacy, the rights of association the least protected and establist om the ab moment of its and Ereedom of expression and the right rights - those of women - it lays 1 ception. ‘consequent Ly to disseminate information cannot be basis for [further attacks on the de the right to life foetus, the invoked to interfere with such a funda- cratic rights of all the oppre unborn, is afforded protect Lon mental right as the right to life of sectors of society. The ju ment {roa the date of its conception’. the unborn which is acknowledged by given SPUC new Largets to chase, the Gonstitution of Ireland’. Not sur- implies that gay persons seeking Erie Because of the emphasis -in the judgement prisingly, Eadar Asmal, President of ships through adverts in the per: 1 | on the rights of the Foetus over women's the Irish Gouncil for Cicvil Liberties columns of newspapers could be conspir

6 ing to corrupt public norals. Gn the question of whether the clinics were corrupting public morals Justice Hasil— ton left it up to a jury court to decide the issue. SPUC are not yet in a positien to launch such a trial or it would quickly turn into an Inquisition against all women and would show SPU up a6 the. reactionary, bigots they are and turn the tide of public opinion firmly against them. The Compaign — Stralery and ‘Tasks The tasks facing the campaign flow from the analysis ve aake of the present period. The defeat suffered in the 1984 Amendment campaign, the divorce defeat. and the generalized attacks on the status of women means, 35 WOOEn, we are on the defensive. The working class and anti-imperialist movement have also pushed back but unlike the Women's Movement neither have suffered any major defeats. However, the defeats inflicted on the Woman's Hovement are not due to any great strengthening of the institutions of power in the Irish society. The massive unemployment, powerty and repression has led to a loss of belief by a section of the population in the visbility of the present system. The intensity of the political, economic and social naderained. the power oF Church and State. This is the background against which the defense of the clinics is being conducted. Therefore the methods of siruggle and the slogans we adopt are crucial if we are to regain the initiative and stop the SPUC offen- BLVEs beer crisis has Single Lsswe Compai gn The campaign must be a single issue miss saclion campaign in. defence of the full ¢linics services. It muat be bread based and non-exclusive in character. So one, no organization is cexcluded a8 long “4 they support the ales of the campaign, It must hee orgunized along democratic lines. The campaign slogans and orientation must seize upon the weakest. link in the enemies’ chain of defence. The weakest Link im the chain is the denial of intorestion tao wooeh ~ in this case information on abortion. Tf is around the question of {reedom of inforaation that we can best challenge all the political. forces in irish society.

fourgenis democracy peides itself on freedom of inforaation and speech, the Free State Constitution acknowledges these rights yet they ore denied to Women. We must nol adopt. the approach af overloading the struggle before it gets of f the ground. People's Denocracy, like the majority of activists in the campoign is in favour of women having the right to choose abortion in Ireland but that cannot be the basis of che campaign. Rather, wo seek to win this round of the struggle against SPUC = and re-eatablish the referral services of the © nics: It is only by pushing back this latest offensive and making the judgement againat the clinics unwerkable that we can create the conditions in which a broader strug— gle for vomen's tights is possible.

Through the clinics campalgn, Me will, as in the abortion amcridment campaigns vin mony new people over to a Fight to cheose position. Building, the United Front tt is vital for us to have a clear what is meant by. 4 broad campaign. Some arguments a5 put forvard in the campaign would Jimit particijataon down to the rank -and file activists and exclude the organizea— tions of the trade whion movement OF other representative although reformist orpanizations. These should never be counterposed « understanding of Of course it would be the best thing.

in. the world if we were abie to rally wonen and the ranks of the working class around our campaign and skip over the reformist organizations such as Dublin Trades Council, the Irish Council Lor Civil Liberties and sectlore ai the reformist/bourgeois women "8 movement. Unfortunately there are HO short cuts. Refusing ‘to preasurise these organizations for their support allows them [to continue posing 35 the leadership of the women's and workers!

movement without fighting for their ecmbers’ interests, for the working class people they claim to represent.

Part of the struggle of the clinics campaign is surely to begin the bask leadership for the ignoring the pre= of building | oe women's movement « By sent leaderships ef the women's and trade union sovement and calling for a rank and Eile campalgn on t he clinics ia in reolity accepting the atatus quo. This campaign 16 the acid test which will be the divide between those who support ‘women ‘s rights and iene: who doen't. ALT who claim support for women's or democratic F ighta should pot be let off the hook. Ignoring the “present tedecships’ does aunctly this.

By adopting © united front appreach we can win this round of the strugele.

supporters outside. the Four Cours Qur best will allies in the be Found kere” are They are in the front line in the strug- United Fro in the ranks of the woranti-imperialist movement .

gle against appression and readily identify with us. The tremendous solidarity displered by anti-imperislist vonen in the Six Counties with the clinics campaign should be an inspiration to us all. Building 3 New Leadership for the Women 5 Hovernent A potable feature of the campaign is that it has the effect of regrouping the core of the Women's Movement which has been atomized in recent yours.

For these women the Hamilton Judgement was the last stra. It is understandable that. for many women the “Defend the Clinics’ campaign itself is perceived almost 45 4 relaunch of the Women "s Movencnt. In one sense it is just that.

The clinics campaign can be a springheard for relaunching the Women's Move— aent on a sounder basis. But a relaunch of the Women's Hovement cannot be con— tained within a single issue campaign such as the ‘Defend the Clinics Campaign®. If the debate on the broad jesues of the woren's movement are raised within the campaign they tend to be counterposed to the single issue and mixed nature of the campaign. The restructuring of the Women's Movement can only be accomplished by coming to grips with past failures anid setbacks. For this 4 period of discussion essential, This ust happen alongside the clinics campaign and will only be posaible in 50 far as the clinics campalan {s successful, It is our task to make the High Court Ruling unworkable and regain the initiative From SPUC and the right.

and debate is Through this process a real leadership for the Women's Kovement will be built, one which is based smong working class ane anti-imperialist women. on