At the last minute goodbye party everybody toasted to free and legal abortion in Spain.
Unfortunately the captains Myra and Margreet and gyneacologist Gunilla of Women on Waves could not be present because ship left a day earlier because the weather forecasts were not good.

This morning when the crew was preparing to leave for a short sailing trip, a woman with an unwanted pregnancy who has spend the night in Valencia, sought help from Women on Waves. The captain decided to sail to international waters so that the medical staff could provide her with the abortion pill.

Because the weather conditions will change tomorrow, the captain decided it would be best if the ship leaves Spain this evening after returning to the port and disembarking the passengers.

Women on Waves had talked to several women about the possibility of sailing out one more time to international waters, but all of these women opted to get a clinical abortion in Spain, either because they were past the 6 ½ week pregnancy limit required by Dutch law, or because they preferred to get a clinical abortion. However, at the last minute a woman who had driven from almost 200 km away was able to get on the boat.

The boat sailed out to international waters on choppy seas, testing the queasy stomachs of some of the passengers, and returned in the afternoon, greeted by feminist supporters of the action.

For many women, living far from a clinic can also present obstacles to accessing an abortion. The use of medical abortion can allow women to get any necessary treatment at ambulatory care centers and smaller, unspecialized local hospitals and clinics. These clinics are sufficient to treat women with spontaneous miscarriages, and any follow-up care for women who have had a medical abortion is exactly the same, both in symptoms, and in treatment.

In the evening, Rebecca, Cecilia, and Gunilla addressed a lecture hall in the University of Valencia law school. The lecture was attended by people both for and against the campaign, sparking a lively but civil debate. Unfortunately, the debate coming from those against abortion was focused on late term abortion, which represents only a tiny fraction of the abortions performed. For example, less than 1% of legal abortions are performed after 24 weeks, and less than 1.4% are performed after 20 weeks. About 80% of abortions are performed before 9 weeks of pregnancy, and about 90% in the first trimester.

Also, some people wanted to argue against the legalization of abortion, ignoring the fact that by legalizing abortion, you do not see a statistical drop in the number of abortions, but rather a statistical rise in the number of women who die or are injured due to unsafe abortions. So b...

The Women on Waves boat was open for visits today. We had volunteers from local organizations help with security and help greet visitors. Local supporters and curious passers-by got tours of the ship, and were able to get information about medical abortion and hear more about the campaign. Local feminist activists were able to talk about the local situation, and what they hope to happen in Spain with the new abortion law.

The area around the marina was more crowded than usual, since many people had come to see the aerial show of stunt planes flying overhead. It was very loud, but a funny distraction. Also, a few protesters came with a banner, causing 4 police cars to show up to prevent any problems. However, after a brief discussion, the protesters were ignored, and after a while they got bored and went home.

After a beautiful day at the harbor, punctuated by the roar of the planes flying overhead, we were invited to a house in the countryside, where we picked oranges and tried the famous Valencian paella.

Now that all around the country, the news has gone out about a boat that can help women get safe, medical abortions, women have been coming to the boat spontaneously, asking for help. One woman was underage and afraid of her parents’ reaction to her unwanted pregnancy, one was an immigrant woman with no papers. One woman had driven 600km after seeing a report on television about the boat.

Its one of those social issues that is so pushed down by public pressure and stigma, and always discussed in a moralizing manner, that when you open a little space for people to see a bit of hope, or a way out, or a space for open dialogue, people start showing up, start moving, start talking. There is a long history of feminist movements for freedom of reproductive choice here, but it almost never gets sustained attention in the mass media, and therefore reaches few people outside of activists, or people somehow connected to the subject. It is so ironic that it is one of the most common medical interventions practiced all over the world, but it was never talked about as such.

Hopefully, these will be moments that mobilize support for a new abortion law. It seems like, even after the threats earlier this year, most Spanish women who support the right to have an abortion do not seriously the possibility that there might be an unfavorable law without public pressure to the contrary. This is a historic moment in which women in Spain have the possibility to fight not to have to be declared mentally ill to get an abortion.

The boat was able to sail out to international waters with three women. Outside the spanish territorial waters the women on board could get a safe, medical abortion by a licensed Dutch gynecologist. The ship sailed with Dutch gynecologist Dr. Gunilla Kleiverda, and Spanish gynecologist Dr. Josep Carbonell.
At the helm of the ship were the captains Myra and Margreet. Three boats filled with press sailed along. In the high sea, the doctors stepped over to the press boats to give some interviews, this way guaranteeing the privacy of the women.

It was a beautiful day, and we were greeted along the way by dolphins leaping alongside the boat. The threats of the anti-choice protesters to block the boat were apparently empty, not one showed up the entire day. That’s okay, we prefer the dolphins for company.
The boat arrived safely in the afternoon, and was greeted by a group of supporters from local organizations. Everybody boarded the boat to welcome them on. As an extra security measure (although happily there was no need), all of the women put on scarves and sunglasses to leave the boat in a group and anonymous.

In the evening, a demonstration in Valencia rallied public support, despite some counter-protests. About 200 people gathered outside the Estació del Nord (North Train Station), rallied by the Lesbianband percussionists. There was an air of celebration following the excitement of the previous day and the successful sailing of the boat, and Dr. Gunilla Kleiverda, leading the dancing.

Now that the campaign is underway, we are finally seeing some positive response from the local press (at least, the local press that isn’t connected to the right –wing groups). For example, the Levante article titled, “Hemos venido a apoyar el derecho de la mujer a decidir”, (“We have come to support the right of the woman to choose”, quoting Rebecca Gompert’s speech at the inauguration ceremony).

At the invitation of more than 30 Spanish organizations, the Women on Waves ship docked in the harbour of Valencia. The Catholic anti-abortion rights groups failed to fulfill their promise to prevent the ship from entering the harbour. The major of Valencia, Rita Barberá, denounced the ship’s visit as a provocation.
More than 500 people attended the manifestation to celebrate the arrival of the ship even though police imposed a last minute ban on the artistic and musical parts of the manifestation. The Dutch parliamentarian Chantal Gill’ard of the Socialist party and the Spanish actrices Isabel Requena Pallares and Pilar Bardem addressed the crowds.

As the boat arrived to the cheers of the crowd, a small harbor motorboat tried to stop them from docking. What happened next was kind of a cross between a water-ballet and a wrestling match between the boats, with Rebecca hopping from one to another, and the crowd of supporters pulling the boat in on a rope, in a tug-of-war with the harbor boat. After lots of back and forth, the boat was finally able to dock.

There had been a program of music and dance planned for the opening ceremony, but the local authorities were looking for any excuse to shut down the program. The best they could do was deny permission for the artistic parts of the program, and not allow the truck in to set up the stage because its tires were a little under-inflated. Even so, the fabulous Lesbianband percussionists animated the crowd, who made more than enough noise to compensate for the lack of musical performances.

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)

Confusion, rumors, submarines, battles on the high seas, abortion pirates, we arrive amidst a sea of speculation

We came to Valencia at the invitation of more than 33 groups from Spain, to support their struggle for a new abortion law. This follows a series of investigations, interrogations, and threats to close clinics and block access to abortion in Spain. As a response, groups in favor of reproductive rights have been organizing and demonstrating, and this campaign is part of their efforts.
We arrived in the afternoon and met with representatives from the local groups. We talked about planes for the campaign, and got caught up on the local situation.

Before, we were worried about a possible lack of interest from the press, but it seems like an incredible quantity of articles and reports have been coming out in every possible media – newspapers, television, radio, blogs, etc. There has been a huge debate created, which is to say all our worries about lack of press were for nothing!

It seems like the ultraconservative mayor of Valencia, Rita Barberá, says that we are “a provocation” (though it is not clear what exactly we are provoking - if she means provoking debate, the yes, that is exactly true). She also says that we cause indignation, and wants to see the boat blocked from entering the port. From what I’ve been hearing from the locals, she also causes a lot of indignation, but for now she is the mayor.

Tomorrow is the inauguration of the campaign, and the arrival of the boat. Local organizations have programmed performances by local bands and a dance troupe., and it seems like a lot of people will come. They are saying that people with boats will try to block the boat from entering the harbor but the local government has also been informed. They are offering us protection, and recognize that we aren’t breaking any laws and are acting within our rights.

In anticipation of the campaign, all sorts of articles and rumors are flying around. There are pictures of boats from ten years ago, some say there are two boats, t...