Press commentary

newsroundup

New in Portugal, where questions regarding women rights have been treated as minor themes, most of the political stories about Portuguese political life in all ideological sectors make reference to the abortion question in Portugal.

Next, some phrases of these commentators in important politic newspapers from the Portuguese center and right liberal wing.

Definitely, Women on Waves/Portuguese Waves iniciative has shaken the Government Coalition.

(Santana Lopes opens up and closes down, showing how fragile the coalision is)

Santana Lopes‚ initial position on November 2nd, after the reunion with the President of the Republic, seemed to open up the way towards a more open, less dogmatic posture from Santana Lopes. Political commentators connected to the liberal factions congratulated this posture.
However, Santana Lopes‚ turning point less than 24 hours later, at the end of the National Council of PSD, puts the more liberal sectors in a bad situation among the social democrats.
Also the fact that this week Santana Lopes has been accepting as valid a revision of the abortion law, even without the necessity of a referendum, can indicate preparations for an entry as of now into the electoral program.

-SEMANÁRIO, 3rd of Sept, 2004, p. 11

Santana Lopes: has no fear of taking a sharp stand and doesn't feel limited by taboos or questions of form and legality. The politicians don't have to be slave of a law they made, is what Santana seems to be saying. If the times are new, if the opinions are new, if the application of the actual abortion law has a negative impact, all that means that it's time to change it. Without fear or prejudices.

-SEMANÁRIO, 3rd of Sept, 2004, p. 6, article by Paulo Gavião

Portas has lost in the confrontation with the abortion boat
Santana Lopes has rapidly noticed that Portas and PP have lost every battle, and that all they had left was to defend tolerance and an opening in the social habits and traditions, to safeguard any possible thing related to the State authority. (∑) Here, Santana Lopes has felt that he had and even could break away. And, for a day, the TV news gave us the image of a Prime Minister that unauthorized the coalition and government compromises, announcing a new time, liberty and legal evolution.

-SEMANÁRIO, 3rd of Sept, 2004, p. 7, Editorial de Rui Teixeira Santos

The first polemic between the President of the Republic and the new Prime Minister exploded in a not so dignifying manner. That won't turn sour their relations, but it is a small preoccupying symptom. If it's not contained and controlled by the head of the State it could deflagrate something a lot more alarming.
The Government decided to stop the Dutch boat from entering national waters and coming to our harbors, a boat that aimed to support and explain the aspects of voluntary interruption of pregnancy * to the public opinion. The people responsible for the Dutch ship declared to have on board enough means to provide abortion and appropriated medication of abortive characteristics.
We don't know exactly the reasons why the boat decided to break the Portuguese peace, and bring back to discussion a theme that wasn't finished yet, a theme that in the legal picture wouldn't ask many social and political changes. What's clear is that the declared intentions have agitated all of our political life.

-SEMANÁRIO, 3rd of Sept, 2004, p. 10, article by Pedro Cid

Prime Minister moves backwards in the abortion question
PSD's leader has said yesterday what he hadn't the day before: the law should be kept until 2006.
It took the Prime Minister and leader of PSD less than 24 hours to clarify, his position related to the changing of the abortion law. On Wednesday, after a meeting with the President of the Republic, he has explained why the government stopped the abortion boat‚ from entering the national waters, admitted that laws aren't rigid‚ and that a debate should happen in the beginning of the parliamentary year, in September. Clearly opening the doors to a new appreciation of the law. Yesterday he corrected, the shot. At the end of the national congress of PSD that scheduled the congress to November, in Barcelos, the social democrat President said what he hadn't the day before, in the Palace of Belem:

  • How can I do an abortion?

    The best and safest way a woman can do an abortion herself until the 9th week of pregnancy is with the use of two medicines called Mifepristone (also known as the abortion pill, RU 486, Mifegyn, Mifeprex), and Misoprostol (also known as Cytotec, Arthrotec, Oxaprost , Cyprostol, Mibetec, Prostokos or Misotrol).
    A medical abortion done this way has a success rate of more than 97%. If you live in a country where there is no access to safe abortion services and you would like to obtain a medical abortion with Mifepristone and Misoprostol, please go to Women on Web. This is a online medical abortion help service that refers to a doctor who can provide you with a medical abortion.
    A woman can also do an abortion herself until the 9th week of pregnancy with only the use of Misoprostol.

  • Diary: 

    Ecuador Diary

    June 14 th 2008, Women on Waves arrived in Ecuador. Here is a day by day account of the campaign, the action, the activists, the progress of the hotline, the reactions on the local level to this inititiative and the personal impressions of the people involved.

  • Abortion on our ship

    You can make an appointment with us by telephone, email or by visiting the ship. We will inform you about when and where to board the ship. You will be treated according to Dutch professional medical standards, which include full confidentiality about counselling and/or treatment. Here you can read more about counselling, the treatment and what to expect afterwards.

  • The Portuguese Diary

    In this day-to-day diary, read what happened during the Women on Waves campaign in Portugal.

  • Media Portugal

    The best way to get an impression of the discussion in Portuguese society is to look at the overwhealming press coverage. From august 23 on, we have collected more than 700 newspaper articles. Next to the continuous TV coverage on all channels public and commercial. It shows how our trip has helped to put legal abortion on the agenda again in Portugal.

  • BBC Correspondent

    Link More about the BBC documentary "Abortionship" from the Poland campaign]