Abortion Debate in Australia Has a New Element: Women in Power

Abortion Debate in Australia Has a New Element: Women in Power

By Rick Rojas
Oct. 15, 2018

BRISBANE, Australia — Activists in the Australian state of Queensland have tried for decades to scrap a criminal code from 1899 that makes having an abortion an offense punishable with prison time, and for decades their efforts have failed.

But as the state Parliament again considers whether to decriminalize abortion, advocates say this time may be different: Women will be leading the debate.

Continued: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/15/world/australia/australia-abortion-vote-women.html

Australia – Let Me Count The Ways I Tried To Talk To George Christensen About Abortion

Let Me Count The Ways I Tried To Talk To George Christensen About Abortion
Look, I tried.

Posted on April 26, 2018
Gina Rushton, BuzzFeed News Reporter, Australia

Nationals MP George Christensen last month attended an anti-abortion rally, wrote to the treasurer, and made social media posts calling for millions of dollars in Australia's foreign aid budget to be allocated to pregnancy counselling for Australian women.

Christensen wrote to treasurer Scott Morrison to ask that $9.5 million allocated to an international family planning organisation be redirected to pregnancy counselling services for young Australian mothers.

Continued: https://www.buzzfeed.com/ginarushton/i-tried-talking-to-george-christensen-about-abortion-via?utm_term=.swWdQLV89#.ua7g037Ya

Australia: Donald Trump abortion decision slammed by Labor as ‘dangerous and damaging’

Donald Trump abortion decision slammed by Labor as 'dangerous and damaging'
Adam Gartrell

25 Jan 2017, The Guardian

Labor has slammed US President Donald Trump's decision to reinstate the anti-abortion global gag rule, calling on the Turnbull government to lobby the new administration to ditch the "dangerous and damaging" policy.

In one of his first official acts as president Mr Trump – surrounded by eight male staffers – signed an executive order to reinstate the policy that blocks US funding to foreign organisations that perform or give advice on abortions.

The decision has been widely condemned by women's groups and NGOs – and now the federal opposition has joined them.

[continued at link]
Source, The Guardian Australia: http://www.theguardian.com.au/story/4426675/donald-trump-abortion-decision-slammed-by-labor-as-dangerous-and-damaging/?cs=12

The Netherlands ‘counters’ Trump with international abortion fund

The Netherlands 'counters' Trump with international abortion fund

The Dutch government is leading the charge to counter the impact of America's plan to halt foreign aid to any organisations which support abortion in any way.

By Ben Winsor
25 Jan 2017

The Dutch Government is planning to launch an international fund to finance access to birth control and abortion in developing countries, in order to fill the gap left after the Trump administration announced it would no longer fund any overseas aid organisations which discussed abortion.

“Banning abortions does not result in fewer abortions,” Dutch Trade and Development Minister Lilianne Ploumen said in a statement. “It leads to more irresponsible practices in back rooms and more maternal deaths.”

[continued at link]
Source, SBS.com: http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/01/25/netherlands-counters-trump-international-abortion-fund