Within 2 years of the Women on waves ships campaign, the Spanish senate approved a new law on sexual and reproductive health, which relaxes restrictions on women’s access to abortion on February 24, 2010

The law allows abortion under any circumstances at up to 14 weeks’ gestation and declares the procedure a woman’s right. It also permits abortion at up to 22 weeks if two doctors certify that the pregnancy poses a serious threat to the woman’s life or health, as well as in cases of fetal impairment, and beyond 22 weeks in cases of severe fetal impairment. Previously, safe abortion was widely available in Spain, but was legal only to save the life of a woman, or to preserve her physical and mental health.

Here is a day by day account of the campaign, the action, the activists, the reactions on the to this inititiative and the personal impressions of the people involved.

News search on Google showed 658 articles from news agencies of all European countries, United States and South America

For more television coverage about the visit of the women on waves ship please click on one of these links

International

www.euronews.net/es/article/17/10/2008/abortion-boat-challenges-spanish-law/

www.vg.no/nyheter/utenriks/artikkel.php?artid=538485

www.eluniverso.com/2008/10/18/0001/14/CAD177CB3EB3434AB86A2C02BB09E67C.html

Spain

www.vinalopodigital.net/vinalopodigital/modules/news/article.php?storyid=828

www.rtve.es/mediateca/audios/20081016/barco-ong-pro-aborto-llegado-puerto-valencia-rne/318022.shtml

www.rtve.es/noticias/20081020/una-mujer-bordo-del-barco-abortista-ley-espanola-una-secuela-sociedad-machista/180610.shtml

...

There is a great lack of clarity about the Spanish abortion law. This recently led to the prosecutions of Spanish abortion doctors, the closure of abortion clinics and the investigation of Spanish women who had an abortions. Also, a Dutch woman from Boxtel, who had a late abortion in Spain in 2007, is still under investigation in the Netherlands.

The Spanish government has now appointed a committee to recommend changes to the abortion law.

Abortion in Europe:

The illegality of abortion in countries like Ireland, Malta and Poland, and the differences in gestational limits in which an abortion is legally allowed in the different countries, lead to abortion tourism within Europe and inequality in access to this much needed health care service.

Several European agencies have recommended the legalization of abortion in all of Europe. In April 2008, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) called on the organisation member states to guarantee women the right to access to a safe and legal abortion and to lift conditions which restricted access to safe abortion. [3]

In June 2002 the European Parliament adapted the Lancker report[4] which advised to make abortion legal safe and accessible and countries were called upon not to prosecute women who had illegal abortions.

Women on Waves thus acts within the international consensus concerning good sexual education, accessibility of contraceptives and safe legal abortion services.

[3] assembly.coe.int/ASP/NewsManager/EMB_NewsManagerView.asp?ID=3739
[4] Rapport van Lancker A5-00223/2002

By inviting of the Women on Waves ship, the Spanish organizations want to urge the Spanish government to:

• Remove abortion from the penal code. Abortion is a regular medical procedure and must be legislated as such.

• Abortion is a right. It should be guaranteed as a regular medical procedure and available in the public health system.

• Guarantee access to abortion care until 24 weeks of pregnancy as is recently supported by a scientific committee of the English Government.[1]

• Guarantee sexual education

• Free access to different types of contraceptives and full financial reimbursement for abortion care as is also normal for other medical procedures.

• Follow the recommendations of The World health Organisation (WHO) concerning medical abortions.[2]

ACAI (Association of Clinics Credited for the Interruption of the Pregnancy)
Amigas de Nicaragua
Asociación Aurora
Associació Catalana de Llevadores
Associació de Planificació Familiar de Catalunya i Balears (APFCIB)
BLOC
Ca Revolta
Casa de la Dona de València
Católicas por el Derecho a Decidir (CDD)
Clinica Deia de Valencia
Clinica Gine-Almeria, de Almeria
Clinica Ginemur de Murcia y Cartagena
Clinica Mediterranea Medica de Valencia y Castello
Clinica Tutor Medica de Barcelona
CNT de Alcoi
Col.lectiu Dones de Silla
Col.lectiu Feminista Victoria Sau de Xirivella
Comissió de Dones 8 de Març de València
Dona d'Esquerra Republicana de Catalunya (ERC)
Dona d'Esquerra Unida i Alternativa (EUiA)
Dones amb Iniciativa (ICV)
Dones Juristes
Dones de Negre, Castelló
Dones de Xirivella en acció
Espai Violeta de Xirivella
Esguerra Republicana PV
Esguerra Unida PV
Intersindical Valenciana
Lesbianbanda
Marxa Mundial de Dones València
Mujeres Jóvenes Las Moiras
Partit Feminista Valencia
PCPV
Plataforma a Favor del Dret a l'Avortament (PFDA)
Plataforma Feminista de València
Secretaría de la Dona CCOO-PV
Secretaría de la Mujer y la Igualdad de UGT-PV
Societat Catalana de Contracepció (SCC)
Tribunal Permanente de Crímenes contra la Mujer
Valencia Solidaria
Xarxa Feminista de la Plana

[1]www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200607/cmselect/cmsctech/1045/104505.htm
[2]www.who.int/reproductive-health/publications/medical_abortion/index.html

Scientific research published by the World Health Organisation has shown that the abortion pill can be provided anywhere and that there is no need for a clinic or special medical equipment.
Still, the Women on waves ship is outfitted in such a way that it can provide all emergency care on board. Among others, there is an ultrasound, emergency medicines, IV system, Oxygen and Manual Vacuum Aspiration on board.

After the ship arrived, two small boats tried to pull it away from the quay. The women on shore took the other ropes and pulled as hard as they could. But unfortunately the engines of the small boat had more horsepower than the women.
After a short struggle, the small boat withdrew and the Women on waves ship could dock again.
Women's right to autonomy has triumphed!!

(filmed by Carolyn Whitten)

Program from October 13 till 21, 2008

13/10- Press conference to announce the campaign

place and time: Hotel Ingles, Valencia at 12.30

14/10- Video and Actions

place and time: Ca revolta, Santa Teresa, 10 at 19.30

16/10- Arrival of Women on Waves ship in harbor of Valencia

place and time: The quay in front of the Veles i Vents building
at 17.30 till 21.30

With: Rosa Solbes, Isabel Requena Pallares, Pilar Bardem, Companyia de Danse "Maria Carbonell", grupo DONA-JAZZ, SOUL-ATAC, QUEERS

17/10- Departure of the ship for international waters to offer abortion services

18/10- Conference of the World March of Women Valencia

place and time: Col. legi Mayor Rector, Pca San Nicolas from 10.00 till 20.00

19/10- Open ship's day

place and time: harbor (america's cup) of Valencia from 11.00 till 14.00

20/10- Departure of the ship for international waters to offer abortion services

At 19.00 in the evening there will be a presentation about Women on Waves in the Faculty of Law, Salon Graus, Campus de Tarongers

21/10- Final departure of the Women on Waves ship

Diana Whitten is following the campaign since the beginning and will make finish the documentary hopefully in 2009.
For a trailer of "Vessel" and her blog please click here.