Alliance for Choice
Free, Safe, Legal, Local Abortion For Everyone Who Needs It
The 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence is an international campaign that takes place each year. It commences on 25 November, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, to 10 December, Human Rights Day, indicating that violence against women is the most pervasive breach of human rights worldwide. It was originated by activists at the inaugural Women's Global Leadership Institute in 1991 and continues to be coordinated each year by the Center for Women's Global Leadership.
It is used as an organising strategy by individuals, institutions and organisations around the world to call for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls.
Day 1
From 25th November to 10th December,
AfC will take part in the UN 2020 global theme:"Orange the World;
Fund, Respond, Prevent, Collect!"
Day 2
The UN wants #16days to spark urgency to:
fund essential services on gender-based violence and women’s organisations;
respond to the needs of survivors, including during the global pandemic;
prevent gender-based violence from happening by challenging cultural and social norms, mobilisation campaigns and zero-tolerance;
collect data to improve services, programmes and policies.
UN Women has appealed to Member States to make concrete, tangible commitments during the 16 Days of Activism.
Day 3
10 ways telemedicine can help survivors:
Over the next 2 weeks we will talk about how telemedicine is a safe and effective solution for tackling unwanted pregnancy. These reasons are heightened during Covid-19 but are relevant anytime for survivors of sexual trauma and violence.
Abortion was decriminalised in NI in October 2020 but the battle for access to services is far from won.NI is the ONLY part of the UK and Ireland that has does not provide an abortion telemedicine service for women and pregnant people. The Minister for Health Robin Swann has given no good reason for this, because there isn’t one.In the midst of a global pandemic telemedicine has emerged as key to sustaining essential reproductive health care services. In NI, this has been ignored by the NI Executive and those within government who are intent on obstructing abortion provision.
Abortion telemedicine is common, safe effective and accommodates a person’s abortion needs at home. It reduces the need for travel, clinic visits and means that women, pregnant people and health care workers are at less risk of contagion with such interactions. It also means that healthcare resources can be deployed elsewhere.
Beyond the pandemic provision of telemedicine can also accommodate those who may otherwise have difficulty reaching a provider due to geographical difficulties, limited financial means, working and caring responsibilities, confidentiality and because they may be experiencing other issues such as coercive control, domestic violence and stigma.
In NI women and pregnant people seeking abortions are not supported with this and a number of other services due to continued obstruction on the part of anti choice parties, politicians and decision makers, who refuse to implement adequate abortion services, even during a global pandemic.
Instead they are forcing women to travel, some still to the UK, in order to access abortion. They are forced to attend a clinic for the sake of one pill which is taken on the premises. They are sent home to take the remaining four there. The first pill can be taken safely and effectively at home and yet still, the women of NI are refused and denied this service.
But this isn’t about one pill is it? It is about the continued obstruction to abortion rights, access and justice