Women on Waves: Where Next for the Abortion Boat?

Abstract

Abstract

Women on Waves was founded to contribute to the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and unsafe abortions throughout the world by direct action. Because national penal laws, including those governing abortion, generally extend only as far as territorial waters (12 miles), Women on Waves made plans to provide reproductive health services on a ship with a mobile clinic, including abortions, outside the territorial waters of countries where abortion is illegal. We went to Ireland first because it was nearby and there was a dedicated pro-choice community with immediate interest in and commitment to the project. Although we encountered problems that meant we could not do abortions, we were contacted by more than 300 women in five days and provided reproductive health information, contraception, workshops and information on where to obtain legal abortions in Europe. In many parts of the world an anti-abortion backlash is taking place. To safeguard our reproductive rights in the face of anti-abortion activities, it is crucial to recapture a pro-active, pro-choice role. Women on Waves helped to make visible the need for legal abortion services in Ireland, and the extensive class and other differences between women able to access abortions abroad and those who could not. We are currently attempting to resolve our status under Dutch law, but until women everywhere have the right to reproductive freedom, we will continue to make waves.

Résumé

L'association $\ll$ Women on Waves $\gg$ souhaite prévenir par l'action directe les grossesses non désirées et les avortements à risque. L'association fournit des services de santé géné sique, y compris des avortements, sur un bateau-clinique hors des eaux territoriales des pays où l'avortement est illégal. Le bateau s'est d'abord rendu en Irlande en raison de la proximité et parce qu'il y avait une forte communauté favorable à l'avortement intéressée par le projet. Malgré les problèmes qui nous ont empêchés de mener des avortements, nous avons été contactés par plus de 300 femmes en cinq jours et nous avons donné des informations sur la santé génésique et la contraception, organisé des ateliers et renseigné sur les avortements légaux en Europe.

Resumen

Women on Waves (Mujeres sobre las olas) fue creado para contribuir a la prevención del embarazo no deseado y el aborto inseguro en todo el mundo por medio de la acción directa. Women on Waves hizo planes para proveer servicios de salud reproductiva, incluido el aborto, en un barco equipado con una clı́nica móvil fuera de las aguas territoriales de los paı́ses donde el aborto es ilegal. Fuimos primero a Irlanda porque nos quedaba cerca y porque allı́ habı́a una comunidad dedicada al derecho a decidir con un interés inmediato y el proyecto. A pesar de en dificultades que significaban no poder proveer servicios de aborto, nos contactaron más de 300 mujeres en cinco dı́as, y proporcionamos información de salud reproductiva, anticoncepción, talleres e información acerca de lugares en Europa donde se puede obtener un aborto legalmente.

Key Words:

• abortion law and policy
• abortion providers and services
• Ireland
• Netherlands

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this article was published in Choices: Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Europe. Autumn 2001 and is reprinted here with kind permission of IPPF European Network.