Australia – My workplace was supportive after a traumatic abortion. This should be normal

My workplace was supportive after a traumatic abortion. This should be normal
Women are often expected to carry on without recognition for the time it takes to heal - physically and emotionally

Hannah Bambra
Thu 25 Oct 2018

My personal decision to abort was not a straightforward one – I had to consider a whole range of complicated factors. I am decidedly pro-choice, but that stance didn’t make the process itself easier. My abortion was traumatic. A large part of me felt attached to that potential child and I was consumed by grief and crippling depression for months following. There is little to no non-religious space to discuss feeling a sense of loss post-surgery.

A very supportive male colleague of mine approached our CEO to ask if he could pass on some of his sick leave. He knew I was still bleeding and almost out of time for recovery. Not only is this incredibly touching, it illustrates an issue that rarely comes up in this discussion.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/oct/25/my-workplace-was-supportive-after-a-traumatic-abortion-this-should-be-normal


Victoria legalised abortion 10 years ago – what will it take in NSW and Queensland?

Victoria legalised abortion 10 years ago – what will it take in NSW and Queensland?
A decade on, Victoria still doesn’t have enough publicly provided, accessible abortion services

Kathleen Maltzahn
Tue 9 Oct 2018

It took more than 40 years of feminist activism, three days and nights of parliamentary debate and hours-long speeches by religious right MPs railing against decriminalisation for abortion in Victoria to be taken out of the crimes act. Ten years on, this is still a powerful victory. Victoria is one of only three Australian jurisdictions where abortion is legal, despite strong community support. Given recent failures to decriminalise in Queensland and New South Wales, Victoria’s success is a reminder that change is possible.

Continued: https://www.theguardian.com/world/commentisfree/2018/oct/09/victoria-legalised-abortion-10-years-ago-what-will-it-take-in-nsw-and-queensland