On September 5 a rally against restrictions
on abortions was held in the centre of Moscow. The organizers
of the rally were initiative group "For Free Motherhood",
the Russian Association "Population and Development",
coalition Bunch of Ashberries. The Pro-Choice. The only
political party supporting the right of women to make decisions
on abortions was the YABLOKO party. The participants were
holding banners "Do Not Oust Abortions into the Shadow
Sector!, "A Conscientious Choice Is Better Than Irresponsible
Parenthood," "Medicine Must Be Legal" and other.
The rally was held in connection with parliaments introduction
of amendments into the draft law on protection of health of
citizens in the Russian Federation, which will be examined
by MPs in the second reading already in November. The document
introduces a number of restrictions on abortions and also
takes abortions out of the list of services of "gratuitous
medicine". Also the draft law prohibits abortion without
the consent of a husband, obliges doctors to give women "a
seven days period for reflection", makes women to take
a mandatory psychologists consultation on immorality of
abortion and allows doctors to refuse from the operation on
"moral grounds".
According to demographer Boris Denisov and doctor Lubov Yerofeyeva
who spoke at the pro-choice rally, such policies will provoke
the increase in the number of illegal criminal abortions,
rather than lead to improvement of the demographic situation
in Russia.
Introduction of the "week of silence" can make
safer pharmaceutical abortion impossible. A ban on abortion
without husbands consent is not only discrimination against
women, but can become a leverage of pressure on a woman provoking
growth of violence in the family. According to the international
experience, a ban on abortion does not lead to the population
growth.
Speaking at the rally Galina Mikhalyova, leader of YABLOKOs
Gender faction, noted that the first attempts to limit women's
reproductive rights had been made by MPs Yelena Mizulina (the
Just Russia party) and Valery Draganov (the ruling United
Russia party) in their antiabortion draft law developed
with the support of the Russian Orthodox Church. These ideas
caused outrage in the society, and examination of the draft
law was postponed. After which they tried to introduce such
amendments into the law on health care. The authorities tried
to improve the demographic situation in the country restricting
womens rights rather than to improving living standards for
parents and children, increasing child benefits and guaranteeing
places for children in kindergartens.
Tatyana Ovcharyenko, YABLOKOs activist, spoke about the
ideas of the Russian Orthodox Church about women's place in
society. "The Russian Orthodox Church sees a woman as
a machine for delivery, and this idea is taken as a guidance
for the Orthodox people in their legislative proposals,"
Ovcharyenko said.
YABLOKOs activists distributed leafleats with the June decision
of YABLOKOs Bureau calling such legislative initiative unacceptable.
"Adoption of this law will inevitably lead to the increase
of illegal abortions and, consequently, increase of the number
of cases of female infertility and mortality. Abolishment
of free abortion without husbands consent or medical evidence
or proof of rape will lead to corruption in health care and
law enforcement, runs the decision of YABLOKOs Bureau.
The action in Moscow was held within the framework of international
campaign "Days of Joint Action in Defence of Pro-Choice
Rights". A rally in St.Petersburg on September 3 was
the first Russian action within the framework of the campaign.
Photo: "Medicine Must Be Legal!"
Photo: Galina Mikhalyova with the activists
Photo: Distribution of leaflets
Photo: "Fight Against Abortions, Not
Against Women!"
Photo: "Do Not Oust Abortions Into the
Shadow Sector!"
Photo: From left to right: Galina Mikhalyova:
"Information, Available Contraseption, Social Guaratees
and Responsible Parenthood Will Reduce Abortions to Zero";
also Zoya Shargatova, Deputy
Chair of the Moscow branch of YABLOKO, and Tatyana Ovcharyenko,
activist.
Photo: Galina Mikhalyova
Photo: Tatyana Ovcharenko
See also:
Human
rights
Womens
movement
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