forced labour

As Jessica Leeder illustrates in “Province of No Choice” (September / October), about New Brunswick’s efforts to restrict access to abortion services, anti-abortion laws are not only cruel and unjust — they’re ineffective. Federally, Canada has no legal restrictions, yet it has historically had a lower abortion rate than the United States because of programs like universal health care and eighteen-month paid maternity leave. However, there’s still room to improve: we need universal contraception, affordable daycare, and accessible abortions in rural and remote areas in provinces like New Brunswick. If the goal is to reduce abortion rates, there are evidence-based ways to go about it — and enacting draconian laws isn’t one of them.

Michelle Cyca

Vancouver, BC